The Great Canadian Geography Challenge

 Canada's most popular
student geography competition

 The Royal Canadian Geographic Society (RCGS) supports its mandate 'to make Canada better known to Canadians and to the world' through the many activities of its geographic education program. The Canadian Council for Geographic Education (CCGE), the education committee of the RCGS, has been in operation since 1993. Its goals and objectives are:

• To increase the emphasis of geography in Canada's schools
• To improve geography teaching methods and curriculum materials
• To promote the flow of geographic knowledge among educators
• To increase public awareness of the importance of geographical literacy

The CCGE promotes improved geography teaching in Canada's schools through activities like The Great Canadian Geography Challenge, the sponsorship of special training sessions where teachers can upgrade their geography skills and knowledge and the establishment of a communications network linking thousands of teachers across Canada.

Each year the CCGE bestows the Canadian Geographic Literacy Award to honour and recognize individual effort in the development, enhancement and/or promotion of geographic literacy in Canadian education.

What is the Geography Challenge?

The Geography Challenge is a national student competition designed to foster an interest in geography among young Canadians, and to raise the profile of geography with teachers and the public.

 How does the Challenge work?

The Geography Challenge is open to students from Grades 4 to 10 attending a school that is registered in the program. The official competition kit contains everything you need to conduct your in-school challenge, including instructions, useful tips, questions and answers, winner's medal, award certificates and more.

There are two levels of competition. Level 1 is for Grades 4 to 6 and is designed to be an introductory opportunity for teaching geography. Challenges are held as a classroom activity. Winners of Level 1 Challenges receive award certificates and are eligible for a national prize draw. Both the student and the school are eligible for the national prize draw.

The Level 2 Challenge is open to students under the age of 16 as of August 31, 2006. It begins with a school level Challenge where an overall winner is declared. School level winners then write a qualifying test for the right to advance to the provincial and territorial championships. Within each province or territory, students with the top 50 scores from the qualifying tests are invited to their respective provincial or territorial championships.

The provincial and territorial winners, 36 in total, participate in the national final of the Geography Challenge that takes place online through this Web site on May 13, 2006.

HSBC Bank Canada scholarships will be awarded to the top three finishers (1st place $3,000; 2nd place $2,000; and 3rd place $1,000) and a range of other prizes will be awarded to all national finalists.

How do I participate?

Schools must register in order to participate in the Geography Challenge. Register your school to order an official competition kit with everything you need to conduct your Challenge. A nominal fee is charged for the competition kits to cover the cost of production. Kits are available in English and French.

Only recognized Canadian schools may register for the Geography Challenge. There is no limit to the number of students or classes within the school that may compete. The competition kit will enable the school to conduct the Challenge in as many classes as desired.

Individuals may not register. Home school students must compete at a local school or within a group of home school students in order to register.

There are two levels of competition:

• Level 1 for grades 4 to 6
• Level 2 for grades 7 to 10.

Register your school link