The winning design will be used as the charity's official e-card for2008 on its new schools website, which includes lesson plans andresources for children from the Early Years Foundation Stage up to KeyStage 2, linked to the national curriculum.
The material is designed to teach children about rainforest issuesincluding climate change, ecosystems and biodiversity.
Keith Egleton, an educationalist with Project Genie, the organisationco-ordinating the educational programme with the Prince's RainforestProject, said, 'The lesson devised for this competition will encouragechildren to explore ideas for their cards through which they will learnabout rainforests, the animals, plants and other features that make themintegral to our survival.'
The new school site engages children with the Project's work to conserveand restore the rainforests through a series of quests and practicalexperiences. Children can work through stages of achievement, fromRainforest Apprentice, which is represented by a Goliath beetle, toGuardian of the Rainforest, represented by an American Harpy Eagle.
Children participating will present friends and family members withtheir work, including posters, masks and insect mobiles.
Briony Mathieson, communications manager for the Prince's RainforestProject, said, 'We need schools to play a critical role. The nextgeneration who will inherit this problem are some of the bestambassadors for encouraging the new thinking which is required while westill have the time.'
To enter the competition and have your Christmas card displayed on thewebsite, visit www.princesrainforestproject.org/schools. The deadlinefor entries is 26 November.