The Big Travel Challenge 2022
⚠️ Met Éireann have issued weather warnings across Ireland for Friday 18th February. Green-Schools are asking that all #BigTravelChallenge activities are halted until the storm passes and warnings have been lifted. Schools can extend their 10-day run of sustainable travel after the storm. Stay safe #stormeunice ⚠️
The Green-Schools Travel team is inviting schools to take part in the big TRAVEL CHALLENGE 2022. This year the Travel competition is celebrating seven years of successfully encouraging more students to enjoy the benefits of actively travelling to school in the month of February.
Walking, cycling, wheeling or scooting to school can be an opportunity to increase physical activity in the darker winter months, when time spent outdoors is often reduced. The aim of the challenge is to promote a sustainable mode of transport of your choice for 10 days during the month of February.
2020 Winners, Ireland’s Travel School of the Year
In 2020 St. Colmcille’s Senior National School, Kells, Co. Meath were named ‘Ireland’s Travel School of the Year’ following their efforts to increase the numbers of staff and students walking to school. From their application form we learnt that the St. Colmcille’s Green-Schools Committee had made a tremendous effort to promote the Big Travel Challenge within their school and to the community. They delegated tasks to different class groups which included poster making, writing poetry and rap songs, holding a hi-vis fashion show even composing a drama that was performed at an assembly. After a Walkability audit with their Travel Officer, they chose walking as their sustainable travel mode. Starting with 141 students walking, by day ten an INCREDIBLE 236 of 377 students were walking to school!
- Walking Schools of the Year: Corpus Christi Primary School, Moyross, Limerick and St. Colmcille’s Senior National School, Kells, County Meath
- Cycling School of the Year: Ennis National School, Co. Clare
- Park ‘n’ Stride Schools of the Year: Duiske College, Kilkenny and Rampark National School, Dundalk, Co. Louth
- Carpooling School of the Year: St. Brendan’s National School in Blennerville, Kerry
- Scooting School of the Year: Gaelscoil Sairseal, Limerick
What are we looking for in 2022?
Green-Schools are looking for all schools big and small, rural and urban, primary, secondary and education centers that will take on the challenge of achieving a measurable increase in one of the following sustainable modes of travel: walking, cycling, scooting, park ‘n’ stride or the bus.
We are asking schools to promote their chosen greener mode of travel for any 10-day period for the month of February 2022 (Tuesday 1st – Monday 28th) and to record their results. We will also be looking through applications for schools individual efforts to promote their chosen mode of sustainable travel within the school and to their communities. Why not watch back to the Big Travel Challenge awards ceremony video for inspiration on previous winners efforts?
Is your school up for the BIG TRAVEL Challenge?
The poster, a BIG TRAVEL Tracker and the application form is available in the below links and schools currently on the Travel and Global Citizenship Travel themes will receive a poster and tracker sheet by post. You can use your tracker to record the total number of students in your school travelling by your chosen mode on each day of the challenge. At the end of the challenge, fill in the entry form and tell us how you promoted your chosen mode and why your school deserves to win The BIG TRAVEL Challenge 2022. You will need to let us know the number of students travelling by your chosen mode on an average day before the challenge started and on Day 1, Day 5 and Day 10 during the challenge. Awards may be made in each travel category (walking, cycling, scooting, park ‘n’ stride and bus). The competition is open to all schools that have participated, or are participating, in the Green-Schools Travel theme and the Global Citizenship Travel theme.
BIG Travel challenge A4 poster 2022
BIG Travel challenge A3 poster 2022
Competition tracker sheet 2022
Dúshlán Taistil Mór A4 poster 2022
Dúshlán Taistil Mór A3 poster 2022
How will your school be judged?
Your school will be judged based on the increase of students using the mode of travel you promote during the challenge and your innovation and creativity in promoting that mode in your school. Terms-and-Conditions-2022
What are the prizes?
The overall winning school will receive a cash prize of €1,000 to be used for their Green-Schools Travel programme, with four runners up each receiving prize of €500.
Any other questions?
Please contact your Travel Officer or the Green-Schools Travel team at travel@greenschoolsireland.org if you have any questions.
Let us know how your school is getting on during the challenge by tagging us on social Instagram, Facebook or Twitter @GreenSchoolsIre #BigTravelChallenge