In the UK, the Young Environmentalists scheme provides young people (10 to 16 year olds) with an opportunity to gain support, recognition and financial reward for practical, local environmental activities and the chance to compete for an international award.

This month, Volvo Car Corporation launches a global environmental programme, the Volvo Adventure For Young Environmentalists.

In the UK, the Young Environmentalists scheme provides young people (10 to 16 year olds) with an opportunity to gain support, recognition and financial reward for practical, local environmental activities and the chance to compete for an international award.

Ten Volvo Young Environmentalist Awards are available, each worth £500. The scheme is designed to support geography and citizenship curricula and the project must address one of the following issues - biodiversity, energy, transport, water or waste and recycling. The submission deadline is 31 December 2003 and the awards will be announced in January 2004.

One chosen school or youth group will have the chance to meet and take part in a workshop with wildlife TV presenter, author and photographer, Chris Packham. Volvo will tailor the environmental education workshop to suit the chosen school or youth group's curricular needs.

A panel of UK judges will then select an overall winning group from the 10 UK award winners to join with other young environmentalists from all over the world at a Volvo conference and ceremony in Gothenburg, Sweden in late spring 2004. Three international projects will be selected for global award recognition and award prizes worth up to US$10,000.