It’s Our World

PRIMARY school pupils from across the Northside showed exceptional creativity and understanding at the Our World Irish Aid Awards Dublin regional finals last week.

St Catherine’s Senior School, Cabra, made it to the national final of the awards but judges had a difficult job selecting winners from the Dublin final that took place at the Dublin Clock Tower last week. Other local schools taking part included Scoil Bhríde Cailíní from Blanchardstown and St Ciaran’s National School, Hartstown.

As well as exhibiting their work and taking part in a number of activities, pupils and teachers heard from special speaker, Dublin Football Manager Jim Gavin, who shared his own first-hand experience of the developing world.

A total of 15 schools took part in the regional final to compete for three places at the national final, which takes place in Dublin Castle on June 13.

Congratulating the teachers and pupils of St Catherine’s, Minister of State for International Development, Joe McHugh said that all entries had shown exceptional creativity and understanding of the Awards’ theme ‘For People and Planet’.

“I would like to congratulate the teachers and pupils at St Catherine’s Senior School on making it to the national final of the annual Our World Irish Aid Awards,” he added.

“This year more than 1,300 primary schools across the country participated in the Awards, exploring the interdependence between people and the natural world, and how the wellbeing of people, wildlife and the environment is interconnected. 

“They have also been learning about the lives of children and their families in Irish Aid’s eight partner countries through the use of online teaching and learning materials.

All 15 schools present at last week’s regional final were presented with an Our World Irish Aid Award plaque. 

Now in their 12th year, the Our World Irish Aid Awards help primary school pupils learn about the lives of children and their families in developing countries.

They also are shown how Ireland and 192 other countries are working together to create a safer and fairer world and a better future for all the world’s children through the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development.