Presentation Secondary School, Castleisland were victorious in the Student Enterprise Awards County Final. They picked up the overall winner in the junior category in Tralee IT on Friday.
‘The Candle Corner’ was the idea of the triumphant group of four girls: Grace Daly, Siobhain Brosnan, Lauren Butler and Cait O’Mahony. Their enterprise was homemade, scented candles in a variety of colours. The girls now go forward to the Student Enterprise Awards National Final 2016 which will take place on Wednesday, April 20th at the Croke Park Conference Centre, Dublin.
The Candle Corner
“Presentation Secondary School entered three teams in the Student Enterprise Awards. Along with ‘The Candle Corner’ were ‘Once in a Blue Cupcake’ and this group made delicious blue icing cupcakes with tiny white pearls on top. The third group ‘Zippys’ designed and ordered personalised school half-zipped tops, with the school crest with initials optional,” said teacher Pierce Dargan.
The competition began at 9.30am and concluded at 2 pm. The day involved setting up a stand for each group and the presentation of their enterprise to the attendance which included a judging panel.
Entrepreneurial and Business Skills
This year, the school chose first year students as the year group to be involved in the Student Enterprise Awards for 2015/2016. This competition gave students the opportunity to develop a range of entrepreneurial and business skills required to create a new business.
Students went through the various stages involved in setting up an enterprise, including market research and segmentation and the preparation of a business plan.
The students worked on their enterprise ideas with the help of their business teacher, Pierce Dargan and their mentor from the Local Enterprise Office, Maeve Townsend.
“At the beginning of the year, the business department decided to assign one lunchtime per week to an Enterprise Club.
Here, students worked with their enterprise teams to develop their ideas. This club allowed students the time to work on their projects without infringing on class time and it gave them a space to seek help and advice from their business teacher, who was present,” Mr. Dargan explained.
Focus Throughout the Year
“The students were given targets to focus towards throughout the year. The targets were in the form of exhibitions. These were held in the school’s social activity area and gymnasium. These events gave the girls the opportunity to showcase their enterprises and sell their products.
“Two exhibitions were held this year. The first was held in November and the second was held on the day of the Christmas holidays in the school gymnasium and was on a bigger scale.
“It was a day of awards and celebration for the hard work completed by the students. Eight enterprises were on show. On this occasion parents, family and friends joined the school staff to browse and buy from the eight stands on display.
“Presentation Secondary School, Castleisland encourages an entrepreneurial mind-set in all its students and this year their excellence in enterprise has been rewarded,” Mr. Dargan concluded.
