Mascot Contest Will Help Young Entrepreneurs Stay Local But Logo Far

Primary pupils across the region are being given the chance to see their character creations come to life in a contest to design a mascot for the Tees Valley Primary Careers initiative.

Established by Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Careers, which was recently extended to include primary school pupils, aims to educate young people about their career choices in the region and show how they can stay local but go far.

Now children in Years 3 – 6 (those aged seven to 11) are being asked to show off their skills by designing a fun and creative mascot for Tees Valley Primary Careers. The winning entry will be brought to life by a professional designer to become the face of the scheme and feature on its website, social media and resources.

Teachers and parents are being encouraged to put together teams of four or five children to come up with their character, considering questions such as “what does the Tees Valley mean to you?” and “if the Tees Valley was a person, how would you describe them?”.

The closing date for entries is 5pm on Friday, 3 December, and Mayor Houchen will also pay the winning team a visit, to answer any questions the pupils might have.

He said: “Skills such as imagination, creativity and thinking outside of the box are vital for entrepreneurs and business owners. The ability to come up with concepts, designs and logos as well as survive in the world of business requires ingenuity and teamwork, all of which this contest aims to promote.

“We had huge success in engaging our 100,000 secondary school students but it’s never too early for our young people to be learning these skills and understanding their life choices. By talking to them about this all-important subject as early as possible, we can give them the best chance to become the next generation of our entrepreneurs, innovators and job creators.

“I’d urge all primary teachers to take a look at the information packs available on the Tees Valley Careers website and put some time aside to work with pupils on this fun but rewarding competition. I look forward to meeting the winning team – and our new mascot!”

For more information including entry packs, and further resources for schools, visit www.teesvalleycareers.com/education/mascot-contest