Greystones students to represent Wicklow at finals of Young Environmentalist Awards
The three students from Greystones Community College – Anna Dillane, Pola Kedziora and Lucy Tyndall – were chosen on the strength of their own project, which aims to raise awareness about waste management.
The County Wicklow students are among 102 finalists from across the island of Ireland to have succeeded at the semi-final stages in March, and will now go on to showcase their shortlisted eco-projects at the finals next month.
Their project, titled 'What a Waste!', focuses on raising awareness about waste management and encouraging better waste disposal practices and it has made it through to the 'Waste' category of the awards.
The project addresses the issue of incorrect waste sorting and aims to engage students in finding solutions. They created a website, designed lessons for first and second year students, held assemblies, and organised a fundraising day to raise awareness about the impact of waste at school, local, national, and global levels.
Remarking on their achievements, the principals of Greystones Community College, Ruairí Farrell said: 'It is a remarkable achievement for Greystones Community College students Anna, Pola and Lucy to be the only students from County Wicklow to reach the national final showcase of the Irish Young Environmentalist Awards, having successfully made it through the provincial rounds and semi-finals.
"The students have left no stone unturned in raising awareness and reducing waste, having created a website, delivering lessons to junior students and hosting an awareness event. We are very proud of the positive environmental impact these impressive young change makers are having on the wider community'.
The awards are an all-island programme that recognises the work of young people who are tackling key issues in relation to climate and biodiversity loss, taking environmental action in their school or community and coming up with creative solutions to solve environmental issues.
Now in its 26th year, the YEA programme has reached people in every county of Ireland, with a total of over 65,000 young people participating and 6,000 projects entered down through the years. ECO-UNESCO is Ireland's environmental education and youth organisation and that works to conserve the environment and empower young people.
Commenting on this year's YEA finalists, the national director of ECO-UNESCO, Elaine Nevin, said: 'The projects that have made it through to this year's Young Environmentalist Awards reflect the mission of Earth Day, the theme of which this year is 'Our Power, Our Planet' – a call to action highlighting the transformative power of young people and their role in creating a more sustainable and equitable future.
"Earth Day 2025 encourages individuals, communities, and governments to take action by adopting renewable energy solutions, advocating for supportive policies, and participating in local and global initiatives. Through their projects, young people have taken the lead in raising awareness of critical environmental issues, inspiring change in their communities, and championing more sustainable lifestyles.'
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