The Sorrell Foundation is launching the YOUNGDESIGNCLUB to give pupils and their teachers an exciting new resource to inform and stimulate knowledge and debate about design.

The YOUNGDESIGNCLUB is free to UK primary and secondary schools, to run in lunch breaks or as an after-school activity. Each meeting will focus on a piece of design from any discipline, providing a growing menu of over 100 design stories. They will be structured around presentations and supported by flexible resources, including print, film and audio materials and PowerPoint slides (available as downloads). This will be followed by a discussion, and the pupil members will have the opportunity to produce their own crit in response, the best of which will be published by the YOUNGDESIGNCLUB. There will also be an annual awards ceremony at Somerset House, London.

www.thesorrellfoundation.com/young_design_club.php

Are you a teacher interested in running the YOUNGDESIGNCLUB? To register your interest, please complete the online registration form. The club will begin in January 2011 and the Sorrell Foundation will contact you in September with detailed information.

New research from the School Food Trust has shown for the first time that poor quality canteens are the biggest barrier to children’s uptake of school food. The Trust is concerned the amount of time, money and effort which has been put in over the past five years to transform school food could be wasted if school canteens are not fit for purpose.

To combat this, they have recently launched the School Food Trust’s Canteen Rescue campaign to raise awareness about the small improvements that schools can make to their canteen. At the heart of the campaign is a competition giving schools the chance to win a professional makeover for their canteen. Pupils and teachers can send designs for a new canteen and the winner will be judged by a host of celebrities.

Here’s a Youtube video which explains a little more about the competition.

A new project called ‘Playground Partnerships’ has been set up, aiming to encourage learning through play, and give children the chance to take a lead in the design of new playgrounds for their school. The design process is meant to encourage the development of key skills in children, such as teamwork, effective communication and leadership.

After schools have submitted their designs, Kids First will then grant £10,000 to what they judge to be the best portfolio, allowing that design to be turned into reality. Ten runners up will be granted £1,000 each to make improvements to their playgrounds.

Visit Playground Partnerships to find out more, register for the competition and download free teaching resources.