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Irish Independent
28-04-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Wicklow schools reflect spirt of global citizenship at this year's ‘Our World' awards
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's flagship programme with primary schools has seen thousands of young people become inspired to engage with global issues and take action for a fairer, more sustainable world. This year, Wicklow primary schools were encouraged to learn about the lives of children and their families in Mozambique, Somalia, and The Lao People's Democratic Republic, also known as Laos, focusing on how Ireland and 192 other countries are working together to create a better future for all through support for the 17 UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development. County Wicklow was well represented in this year's awards, submitting strong, thoughtful, and creative entries that truly reflected the spirit of global citizenship. From gender equality to environmental sustainability and global solidarity, the pupils across Wicklow demonstrated not only creativity, but a genuine commitment to learning about—and acting on—global issues. 5th class pupils attending Kilcoole Primary School produced a professional-level podcast, showcasing their deep research and understanding of global citizenship themes. 3rd class pupils from Lacken NS Blessington proudly displayed their research on Laos, learning about challenges facing children in other parts of the world. At Scoil Nicoláis Naofa, Dunlavin, 6th class pupils created a powerful video on equality, with each pupil contributing their thoughts and voice—a truly moving project. St Patrick's NS, Curtlestown welcomed a guest speaker to talk about reusing and upcycling clothing, tying into their project on sustainability and the global goals. Kiltegan NS took inspiration from their learning about Mozambique and created a thoughtful and creative 'Bee Inspired' project, linking the role of bees to environmental themes and sustainability. St Mary's SNS, Blessington brought their global citizenship learning to life through beautiful artwork and shared their heartfelt wish for a future of peace—a powerful message from the next generation. Junior minister Neale Richmond was delighted to see so many schools taking part in this year's awards. ADVERTISEMENT He said: 'This year saw an impressive rise in the number of entries for the Our World Awards. This response highlights the growing emphasis on global citizenship education in our primary schools, which is very encouraging. 'The Our World Awards challenges children, as global citizens, to put the spotlight on world issues. It encourages pupils to learn about Ireland's international development programme, Irish Aid which aims to fight world hunger and poverty on behalf of all the people of Ireland. 'International development has a positive impact on the lives of people who are trying to survive hunger, poverty, inequality, climate crises, natural disasters, political instability and conflict. This is why the Our World Awards are so important, to increase awareness of global issues in schools and highlight how we all have a part to play in helping to make the world a better place, by sparking creativity and critical thinking and building empathy, awareness, and a sense of global responsibility.'
Irish Independent
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Kilglass NS represents Sligo in ‘Our World Awards' as Irish Aid celebrates 20 years of the national awards programme
This year, Sligo primary schools were encouraged to learn about the lives of children and their families in Mozambique, Somalia, and The Lao People's Democratic Republic, also known as Laos, focusing on how Ireland and 192 other countries are working together to create a better future for all through support for the 17 UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development. Kilglass NS in Enniscrone proudly represented County Sligo in this year's Our World Awards from Irish Aid, submitting a thoughtful and creative entry that highlighted their learning about Irish Aid and the UN Global Goals. It was the 6th class pupils who led the project, creating a beautiful, eye-catching poster that reflected both their artistic talents and their understanding of global issues. Through vibrant artwork, they showcased what they had learned about the important work being carried out by Irish Aid around the world. Open to primary school pupils from 3rd to 6th class across the country, the Our World Awards encourages children to explore important global themes such as climate action, equality and international development, while reflecting on Ireland's role in creating positive change. Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Neale Richmond TD expressed his delight at the number of schools taking part in this year's awards. 'This year saw an impressive rise in the number of entries for the Our World Awards. This response highlights the growing emphasis on Global Citizenship Education in our primary schools, which is very encouraging," he said. Judging is now underway and shortlisted schools will be invited to the National Final taking place at the Printworks, Dublin Castle on Friday 30th May 2025 where their entries will be celebrated and the Our World Awards School of the Year, 2025 will be announced.
