Cool it Schools

  Attracting thousands of frog designs, The Prince’s Rainforests Project’s “Win a Tree-mendous Rainforest Frog” competition has created a visual petition of staggering proportions in support of the rainforests. Organised in conjunction with the Big Draw and Cool It Schools, the competition attracted over 12,500 designs in just four weeks from both primary and secondary school children and three winning children’s frogs took pride of place alongside celebrity designed frogs at the Palace for a reception with HRH The Prince of Wales.

The winner of The Prince’s Rainforests Project / Big Draw and Cool It Schools competition was Katrina Reid, age 16, of The Latymer School in London, who attended the reception and who decorated her frog with flags from nations around the world. The idea behind her design was that the life of this rainforest frog affects the life of everyone in every country. 

The children’s frogs will be part of an exhibition that moves from St. James’s Palace to the National Geographic Store in London and then on to The Eden Project in Cornwall before they are returned to the winning schools and youth groups in 2010.

Briony Mathieson, Head of Communications at The Prince’s Rainforests Project, congratulated everyone who took part. “We appreciate everyone’s hard work to raise the awareness of the value of rainforests in schools and for the children’s imaginative designs. Long may rainforest projects continue to provide inspiration to so many children,” she said.

The schools’ initiative is part of a wider public awareness campaign that was launched by The Prince’s Rainforests Project on May 5th 2009.  Schools are being encouraged to help raise awareness among children, parents and their fellow educators through compelling learning in the classroom and the school community. To find out more visit www.rainforestSOS.org/schools .