The University of Kent is inviting students at secondary schools and FE colleges across Kent and Medway to enter the Graham-Roger prize to showcase their ambition and compete for the chance to win a substantial prize. The £1,000 prize for Kent students is being offered for a second year, following a successful debut in 2022.
The theme for this year’s Graham-Roger Prize is based on a quote by Jane Goodall, who’s pioneering research on chimpanzees forever changed the way that we understand both animals and ourselves: ‘What you do makes a difference… and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.’ Jane Goodall’s quote encourages people to reflect on their actions and the impact they have on the world, and to make a conscious decision to use their skills and abilities to make a positive difference.
Students are being asked to think how this call to action resonates today and how they can make a difference to their local community, society or the world. Submissions can take the form of an essay, article, poem, speech or video.
Kent student and 2022 entry, Kate Anku-Tsede, said: ‘I really enjoyed working on my submission for the Graham-Roger prize, so much so that it became the inspiration for the Masters that I am currently studying in Media Practice for Social Change and Development. It was the process and planning I enjoyed the most, even though I was quite nervous about it all. I am therefore delighted to continue to be involved in this prize as a judge this year, and can’t wait to see the great work that students will come up with this year. This is a really important prize in getting young people thinking about how they can make a difference in the world.’
Prizes will be awarded in the following categories as judged by the University’s awarding committee. Each category will also have a runner-up prize of a £100 gift voucher.
- Year 10 – Tablet (equivalent to £300)
- Year 11 – Tablet (equivalent to £300)
- Year 12/13 and FE students – £1000
- University of Kent students – £1000
The deadline for submissions is 20 May.
More details on the Prize and how to enter can be found on the University’s Graham-Roger Prize webpage.
The Graham-Roger Prize for International Citizenship is generously supported by the Marchesi-Reggiori Fund and is dedicated to the memory of two men, one from the USA and one from the UK, both of whom survived Japanese prisoner-of-war camps during WWII.