And the winner is…
Ireland’s Travel School of the Year for 2024 is Cappawhite National School, Co. Tipperary!
At a ceremony in Haughton House of Dublin Zoo on Thursday, 25th April, five schools were awarded by the Green-Schools Travel Programme following their participation and efforts promoting sustainable and active travel modes to school in this year’s Big Travel Challenge. During March schools undertook the Green-Schools Big Travel Challenge – now in its ninth year – which asked them to promote sustainable modes of transport mode in innovative and creative ways for two weeks to see if they could achieve real, lasting change in the travel behaviour of their staff and students. We also brought back our Staffroom Challenge this year to promote sustainable travel among teachers and staff, and the TikTok Challenge, to motivate schools to get creative during the Big Travel Challenge.
Regional winners:
Cappawhite NS was one of four regional winners that were chosen and invited to the ceremony at Dublin Zoo and received a cash prize of €500 each. The Travel School of the Year received a total cash prize of €1000 to be used for their Green-Schools Travel programme.
The Regional Winners were:
- Easter Regional Winner: Loreto Primary School, Dalkey, Co. Dublin
- Midlands Regional Winner: Tus Nua, Rehab Care, Tullamore, Co. Offaly
- North-Western Regional Winner: Tooreen National School, Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo
- Southern Regional Winner: Cappawhite National School, Co. Tipperary
- Staffroom Challenge Winner: St. Joseph’s National School, Templemore, Co. Tipperary
- Ireland’s Travel School of the Year: Cappawhite National School, Co. Tipperary
County winners:
We also introduced county-level awards this year! Each county winner has been awarded with a cash prize of €200 towards a pizza party or ice cream van or other celebration as a reward for their efforts. Here’s the full list of county winners:
- Dublin Fingal: Donabate Portrane Educate Together National School
- Dublin DLR: Loreto Primary School, Dalkey
- Dublin DCC: St. Brendan’s Boys National School
- Kildare: Churchtown National School
- Meath: St. Brigid’s National School, Meath Hill
- Wicklow: St. Mary’s & St. Gerard’s National School
- Carlow: St. Leo’s College
- Laois: Holy Family Senior School, Portlaoise
- Longford: Mercy Secondary School, Ballymahon
- Louth: Rathcor National School
- Offaly: Tus Nua Rehab Care, Tullamore
- Westmeath: Streamstown National School
- Cavan: St. Patrick’s National School
- Clare: MaryK’s Preschool and Montessori
- Galway: Scoil Chuimin Agus Caitriona
- Leitrim: St. Manchans National School
- Mayo: Tooreen National School
- Cork City: Scoil Mhuire Secondary School
- Cork: St. Mary’s School, Macaroom
- Kerry: Presentation Secondary School, Castleisland
- Kilkenny: Gaelscoil Osrai
- Tipperary: Cappawhite National School
- Waterford: Realt Na Mara, Dunmore East
Congratulations, and well done to all the winners!
And a big thank you to everyone who took part!