Castleisland Community College received the 2021 Tidy Towns Sustainable Development Goals Youth Award.
This is a special award which recognises communities for their significant efforts to increase awareness and engagement on the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.
It was granted to the school for the outstanding effort made by the students to address the aims of Sustainable Development Goals.
Many Initiatives Undertaken
The Transition Year students of last year 2020/21 were involved in addressing these goals.
Junior Liaison Officer for Castleisland Tidy Towns and college teacher, Doreen Killington entered the school for the award, based on the many initiatives undertaken by students with guidance from teachers.
It is felt that the award is a testament to the very strong cross-curricular approach in the school coupled with a strong team spirit amongst the school community.
Tidy Towns received a grant from Community Foundation Ireland to work on a biodiversity plan for the town.
Slí na Sláinte Sign
The Transition Year students worked with Tidy Towns members and Ecologist, Brendan Kirwin. They designed bilingual bee signs, bat signs and swift bird signs that have been placed along the river walk.
The group also worked with the Irish Health Foundation and designed a Slí na Sláinte sign for the school in April 2020. This illustrates walking routes on the school grounds for all the community to enjoy.
The committee organised a food appeal for the Tralee Soup Kitchen in December 2020.
‘A Home for Everyone’ Winners
They worked with past pupil Lee Mangan of Madden and Mangan Construction and they designed a sustainable home for ‘A Home for Everyone’ National Competition which they won in May 2021! The students researched the physics of bees and physics in nature-balunga whales, pig and chameleon.
They won national awards for their work in the National Sophia Physics 2021 Competition.
The committee took part in the international Globe Air Quality Campaign and it undertook the air quality experiment for schools in April 2020 that is run by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The readings for the school were excellent with one of the lowest readings nationally.
Busy in Woodwork Room
Santa’s elves were busy in woodwork class from September –December 2020.
Wooden pallets that delivered hand sanitisers and paper roll were reused and up-cycled into snowmen and Christmas trees and then placed outside on school grounds for all to enjoy.
The sign at the entrance to the Castleisland Community Garden was designed and made by Emma Kerin, Rachel Murphy, Abbie Mahony, Bernadette Mahony and Shauna Tangney in engineering class and it is made entirely from recycled items.
Crumlin Children’s Hospital
Bravery blankets for Saint John’s ward in Crumlin Children’s Hospital were organised and made by the Transition Year students.
They sent out a request for any leftover wool that was lying idle in presses and cupboards to donate it to the school. This leftover wool from other crochet or knitting projects was crocheted into squares that were eventually all joined up into blankets.
The school was contacted by the Department of Education to present virtually to the Minister of Education Norma Foley, Department of Education Senior Inspectors and UNICEF representatives regarding the Sustainable Development Goals in May 2021.
It was part of the World’s Largest Lesson.
Many Projects Undertaken
The students made presentations regarding the many projects undertaken and how they linked with the SGD goals.
Minister Foley praised the school for how it has implemented sustainability and the SDG goals very successfully into the school.
She declared her immense pride as the school was chosen this year by the Department of Education to meet with the minister and that it was from her own constituency. She acknowledged the work and leadership of all involved and she highlighted how the school has built bridges with the community in Castleisland.
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