In 2011 alone, 11 significant listed buildings have been seriously damaged by fire. The loss of these buildings results in huge costs to our economy, local communities and to wider society. This competition has been designed to encourage young people to think about the built heritage as something worth preserving.

The Competition

You are invited to enter the Opening Doors to the Future Competition for schools. Nine winning entries will be displayed at a Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) Built Heritage conference in May 2012 to celebrate Northern Ireland’s historic environment. In addition to attending the conference, winners will receive a hand crafted trophy.

The competition is open to schoolchildren across Northern Ireland.

What do you have to do?

To enter the competition you need to research a historic building, structure or site near your school. You must find out as much as you can about its history including things like:

• when it was originally built
• who built it
• who lived in it
• what was its function

You should describe the materials used to build it and illustrate your project with pictures or photographs.

Some buildings are of such historic or architectural importance that they have been designated as a Listed Building or in state care to protect and preserve them. Some buildings have Blue Plaques to show their association with famous people. The building you choose to research may just be important to you. It could be your school, a local church or just a really interesting local monument.

You should be able to demonstrate in your project why it is important to preserve the building you have chosen. Thinking about the social benefits of the restoration of buildings you should devise a conservation plan and consider how you will promote it to local people and tourists. Try and include new and innovative technologies in your promotion proposals where possible and appropriate.

You should produce a display which illustrates the building and its history, its importance, why and how it should be conserved and your plans to promote it.

The closing date for entries is 12 noon on Wednesday 29 February 2012.

The competition classes

Entry to the competition is divided into three age groups. These correspond to Key Stages (KS) in the National Curriculum which set the educational knowledge expected of students at various ages:

• Primary (Key Stage 1 and 2)
• Post–Primary (Key Stage 3)
• 15+ (Key Stage 4 and 5)

The winner and the two runners–up for each age group will be invited to display their projects at the Built Heritage conference in May 2012. The winners of each age group will also give a five minute presentation on their project, demonstrating why they chose their building, why they feel it is important and how they have used innovative ways to preserve and promote it.

They will also be invited to take part in a question and answer session which will take a maximum of 30 minutes.

All the shortlisted projects will also be entered into the People’s Choice Award.  You will be able to vote for your favourite in the People’s Choice Award Built Heritage Competition by text message, or here on the nidirect website, from 12 March 2012.

Curriculum Links

The Curriculum Objectives which are met by this competition are to develop young people as contributors to society, the economy and environment. This project will provide an enquiry–based learning experience.

Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities

• Managing information
• Working with others
• Being creative
• Using ICT

Areas of Learning

• The World Around Us (KS1 and 2)
• Environment and Society (KS3)

Key Stage 1

My environment – historical sites and old buildings in my environment

Key Stage 2

The way we live – the life of a famous person, family or building in the past, either local, national or international.

Key Stage 3

Statutory Requirement Objective 3 Investigate the need to preserve history in the local and global environment, for example, visit an important historical site and evaluate the measures taken to preserve it; create the case for a local building or site to be preserved; explore the contribution of heritage tourism to society, the economy and the environment.

Key Stage 4 and 5

Links will be determined by specific syllabi being followed.

Application form and rules

The rules and application form for the competition are available on the following pages:

• Built heritage schools competition rules
• Built heritage schools competition application form

If you want to enter the competition, download and complete the application form and return it by email to:

• annehayes@doeni.gov.uk