Young Geographer of the Year and Rex Walford Award 2025 open for entries

It is estimated that our planet contains almost 670,000 islands and their landscapes and coastlines vary massively. Some are barren, deserts or rocky outcrops, others are a haven for a range of unique wildlife and plant species. There are islands seen by many as popular holiday destinations, and there are others that are inaccessible. Some are home to volcanoes, others barely above sea level. Alongside this, the people who live on islands face a range of socio-economic, cultural or historical challenges.

If you’re a young person with a passion for communicating geographical topics, or an early-career teacher with innovative ideas for engaging your pupils, why not explore the multitude of geographical themes that a study of islands can uncover and enter one of our school competitions?

The Young Geographer of the Year competition is designed to get students thinking beyond the boundaries of the curriculum and engaged with the opportunities geography offers. For trainee and early-career teachers with innovative ideas to engage pupils, the Rex Walford Award celebrates emerging talent in educational resource writing. 

The theme for both the Young Geographer of the Year and the Rex Walford Award this year is Understanding islands, giving you an opportunity to learn more about the people, places and environments of islands, explore the connections between them, and share your findings creatively.

The deadline for entries for both competitions is 5.00pm on Friday 3 October 2025 and these can be submitted by individual students or teachers. Entries are welcomed from all schools and will be judged anonymously. 

Keep reading to find out more or visit our competitions webpage. 

Young Geographer of the Year 

Our Young Geographer of the Year competition recognises the outstanding work of the next generation of geographers. Students are invited to create an eye-catching and informative poster or Esri StoryMap that investigates the socio-economic, cultural, political and physical aspects of a range of islands, showcasing their features and exploring how islands can be connected through the challenges that they face and the solutions they use to address those challenges.

There are four categories: KS2 (pupils aged 7-11), KS3 (pupils aged 11-14), KS4/GCSE (pupils aged 14-16), and KS5/A Level (pupils aged 16-18). All entries must adhere to the entry criteria for the relevant age category. 

The Young Geographer of the Year competition is run by the Society in conjunction with Geographical magazine and is kindly supported by Esri UK, Ordnance Survey and Philip’s Atlases.   

Rex Walford Award

Trainee and early-career teachers are invited to enter the Rex Walford Award by creating  a short scheme of work, including three lessons, which encourages their students to create their own poster (or Esri StoryMap for KS5) on the theme Understanding islands and enter it into the Young Geographer of the Year competition.