Kids, they get it!
SEAI's One Good Idea competition offers students the opportunity to grow through the creation of an awareness campaign.
One Good Idea give students the opportunity to develop skills such as research, communication, creativity and science. It gives them an opportunity to take a simple idea and develop it into something that can have a real impact on the world around them. The students who take part in the competition range from 9 to 17 years and they are the ones to watch in the future. It is hugely rewarding to play a part in their success and give them a way to share their hard work and passion.
The 2017 National Final at Croke Park
This year's final took place in the stunning Croke Park; a fitting arena for our worthy finalists. When I arrived on the day I could feel the excitement in the air. Even with the nerves the students were all very eager to win. Each team watched with interest as their competition presented their ideas, all keen to learn from each other. The adults learned something too - myself included. I am always so impressed by how competent and articulate they are when presenting to a room of their peers as the judges deciding their fate. It's a far cry from my own days at school and the types of activities I undertook at their age.
The overall winner
The overall winner this year was a group of impressive young ladies, Team Wattaware, from Ursuline Secondary School, Thurles, Co. Tipperary. They created an awareness campaign on the importance of the energy label on everyday household appliances. Their clever campaign was targeted at adults within their community. They delivered a super pitch with some rapping thrown in to keep it entertaining.
Campaign posters to launch One Good Idea 2017/2018
The posters created by this year's winners will be used to launch the 2017/2018 competition in September. Keep an eye out on bus shelters, billboards and your local AIB for these inspiring campaign posters.
Through SEAI's education programme, the One Good idea competition continues to grow and expand every year. It highlights the appetite that students have for energy and climate change, as well as their desire to help preserve this precious planet we live on.
Author biography
Emer Barry is the Education Programme Executive at SEAI. The programme aims to excite and inspire teachers and students about sustainable energy and the role they can play. This is done though teaching resources, workshops and the One Good Idea annual competition. In her 14 years with SEAI, Emer has worked in several roles including Personal Assistant to the CEO.
Email emer.barry@seai.ie