2013 Climate Zone Quiz

Vanuatu’s Year 11 secondary school students have demonstrated their climate change expertise in Vanuatu’sfirst national Climate Zone Championship competition. In 2012, a pilot competition worked with only a handfulof schools, but this year’s 2013 Climate Zone competition was open to every secondary school in everyprovince of Vanuatu!Vanuatu Climate Zone is organized by the Vanuatu Ministry of Education, USP Vanuatu and SPC-GIZ ClimateChange and seeks to showcase the learning and knowledge of Vanuatu’s students on the topic of climate changein Vanuatu. Each secondary school in Vanuatu was invited to selected four year 11 students for the school teamin the competition. The process for the 2013 competition included two phases, a written exam and a livecompetition. Local Vanuatu climate change experts provided background information on climate changescience, impacts, mitigation, adaptation, and special topics (e.g. gender) to all year 11 secondary schools (bothEnglish and French language schools). School students were then given 2 months to study the information. On19 September 2013, all student teams took a written ‘exam’ (in English or French), at official exam centres ineach province.The highest-scoring school from each province was then invited to take part in the final competition in PortVila. TORBA province winner was Arep Junior Secondary School in Vanua Lava, SANMA province winnerwas St. Michel on Santo, PENAMA province winner was St. Patrick College on Ambae, MALAMPA provincewinner was Rensarie College on Malekula, SHEFA province winner was Malapoa College on Efate, andTAFEA province winner was Lenakel Presbyterian College on Tanna.From 4-8 November 2013, all winning teams participated in a series of live matches against other provinces asan activity under the Vanuatu National Climate Change Symposium organized by the Ministry of ClimateChange. Students were asked climate change questions by two ni-Vanuatu climate experts in multiple choice,true false, short answer and discussion-based formats. A panel of distinguished judges assigned points to theanswers.The two schools with the highest point score after 15 grueling matches, and making it into the final competitionon 8 November, were Lenakel Presbyterian College (TAFEA) and Malapoa College (SHEFA). These two teamsbattled it out for nearly two hours with the score neck-and-neck for most of the game. The studio audience keptthe excitement strong, and supporting their students and team! The end of the match saw the judges awardingthe 2013 championship prize of the 2013 Vanuatu Climate Zone to Malapoa College representing SHEFAprovince, which took home a prize of 30,000vatu. All participating schools from every province were winnersand awarded a climate change water tank donated by the Chinese Women’s Association.Thanks are due to the many financial sponsors for the 2013 Climate Zone including the SPC-GIZ ClimateChange Program, the USP-PACE EU GCCA Climate Change Program, the SPC-USAID Food SecurityProgram, the French Embassy Port Vila, the Chinese Women’s Association of Port Vila and technical sponsorsincluding Vanuatu’s National Advisory Board on Climate Change & Disaster Risk Reduction, the VanuatuMeteorology & Geohazards Department, the Ministry of Education, the Curriculum Development Unit, VanuatuTeacher’s College, VBTC and Television blong Vanuatu .All Climate Zone 2013 matches were videotaped at the VBTC studios and will soon be rebroadcast to allviewers in Vanuatu. Keep a look out to see just how knowledgeable Vanuatu’s students are about climatechange and test your own climate skills!For more information on Vanuatu’s 2013 Climate Zone Competition, contact SPC-GIZ Climate Change atVanuatuClimateChange@gmail.com Vanuatu Ministry of Education (jmelteres@vanuatu.gov.vu) or visit theNAB online Portal www.nab.vu.