Education
Oola National School win Our World Irish Aid Most Creative Award
Oola National School 5th & 6th Class pupils, pictured above, were recipients of the Our World Irish Aid’s Most Creative Award.
Oola National School won for their thought-provoking book which tells the story of an elephant from Sri Lanka
The Minister for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora, Colm Brophy TD has announced Oola National School in County Limerick as the winner of the prestigious Our World Irish Aid Most Creative Award.
The 5th and 6th class pupils won the prize for a thought-provoking book and online e-book written and illustrated by the class and their teacher Maria Carrie. It tells the story of Cróga, an elephant from Sri Lanka and follows her as she navigates issues of deforestation, fire and plastic, before making her home in Dublin Zoo.
The announcement was made at an in-person ceremony held at Farmleigh House and attended by pupils and teachers from 15 schools around the country.
Congratulating Oola National School on their success, Minister Brophy said, “The Our World Irish Aid Awards provide an important opportunity for our young people to learn about the important issues affecting the planet and the people who live on it. They also play a pivotal role in fostering the next generation of change-makers, committed to playing their part – collectively and individually – in helping to achieve the 17 Global Goals and end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
“Striving for a more equal, fair and just world is at the heart of the United Nations’ Global Goals and Irish Aid’s work. Creating a fairer world involves focusing on all of the Global Goals and working together in partnership to protect our planet and improve the well-being of the people who live on it.
“I am so encouraged by the commitment of teachers and the enthusiasm of pupils. Their willingness to challenge us all to do better for the benefit of everyone is commendable.”
Other schools to win awards included 5th Class pupils at St. Mary’s Primary School, Nenagh, who won the Our World Irish Aid School of the Year Award. Entitled Wellbeing for our Planet and its People, they created an online book showcasing how the 5th Class pupils and their teacher Anne-Marie O’Sullivan embraced all 17 of the Global Goals and the work they carried out to achieve them in their school community. They also incorporated this year’s theme Wellbeing for People and Planet, creating a calendar that includes tips on how to improve the well-being of people and the planet for each month of the year.
The winning submission from Oola National School, along with the projects created by the 14 other finalists, will be featured in a special print edition of the Our World Irish Aid Awards Global Goal Getters magazine which will be distributed nationwide.
For more information on the Our World Irish Aid Awards 2022, go HERE
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