*Pictured above: (L-R) Director of Education and Community Action with An Taisce, Cathy Baxter; Head of Public Relations, EirGrid, Suzanne Collins; with students from St Joseph’s Community College, Kilkee.
STUDENTS from St Joseph’s Community College, Kilkee were awarded the title of Northern and Western Regional Energy School of the Year at the An Taisce Green Schools’ Energy Awards this week.
Students from across Ireland taking part in the Green Schools’ Energy Theme gathered with their teachers at the award ceremony, where they were presented with the Green Flag, recognising their outstanding work on the theme.
The Energy Theme, sponsored by EirGrid, operator and developer of Ireland’s electricity grid, enables students to expand their awareness around energy conservation.
The students from St Joseph’s Community College were among 10 schools nationwide who scooped awards at the ceremony, with their work during the Energy Theme including holding swap shops, introducing water refill stations, and running campaigns to encourage cycling.
So far this academic year, more than 3,700 students and 273 schools have engaged in the theme, including events such as regional workshops consisting of hands-on activities, artwork and experiments, which allowed them to learn more about where electricity comes from and how they can take steps to reduce energy consumption.
These workshops also allowed students to hear about how EirGrid is playing a leading role in decarbonising the electricity grid.
Speaking at the award ceremony, Director of Education and Community Action with An Taisce, Cathy Baxter, said: “An incredible amount of teamwork and creativity has gone into achieving this award, and I would like to congratulate the students at St Joseph’s Community College on their success here today.
“These students have shown real commitment to sustainability and learning more about how they can take meaningful steps to conserve electricity and leave a positive impact on their communities.”
Head of Public Relations with EirGrid, Suzanne Collins, said: “The Energy Theme is a driving force in enabling young people to lead the way in energy awareness and climate action, and EirGrid is proud to be a part of this journey.
“As we continue to work to deliver the Government target of ensuring 80 percent of Ireland’s electricity comes from renewable sources, we recognise the importance of inspiring the next generation to take meaningful action in reducing energy consumption.
“Their work has real impact, not just for their school, but in their wider communities, and we would like to congratulate them on their success today.”
Green Schools’ Programme Manager, Joanne Scott, said: “It’s a privilege to recognise the outstanding commitment of our Energy Schools of the Year, whose work is making a measurable difference in how energy is understood and used across their school communities.”
