Scoil Chaitríona Junior, Renmore has been crowned the national winner of the Explorers Ocean Champion School Awards 2023.
The Galway City primary school took home the crown for their Healthy Ocean project, ‘Caring for our Ocean’.
Scoil Chaitríona Junior applied themes of environmental care, cleaning up litter, and looking after the animals in the ocean across many different subjects throughout the year, from the sciences through to music and the arts.
They shared stories about the ocean with a primary school in France, performed at the Marino Institute of Further Education and at the Féile Scoildrámaíochta inter-school drama competition.
On behalf of the teachers, school principal Caitríona Daly said the award recognised their school’s commitment to learning about local areas – particularly their own seashore at Ballyloughane Beach.
“We’re also delighted to have received an EU Blue Schools Award. This award recognises the school’s effort to become ocean literate and for being an ocean champion!”
Mick Gillooly, Interim CEO of the Marine Institute said he was extremely impressed with the efforts of everyone involved.
“We were also extremely impressed with the school’s collaboration and engagement where the teachers and children worked with marine scientists from ATU to learn about seaweed and birdlife, and with artists through the Teacher Artist Partnership, as well as meeting with other marine educators.”
“These children stood out for their eagerness to learn about the animals in the ocean, and for sharing what they learnt with their community about protecting and caring for the ocean.”
“Bringing the topic of marine conservation to local, national and international platforms shows an incredible amount of commitment from the staff, children and their parents,” he added.
Scoil Bhride in Galway also won the Best Marine Outdoor School Project Award.
Twenty-eight coastal schools participated in this year’s competition, creating healthy ocean school projects based on themes including Marine STEAM, Ocean literacy, SDGs and Ocean and Marine Outdoor Education.
The Healthy Ocean School project and Ocean Champion Awards are organised through the Explorers Education Programme and are the only ocean-themed awards for primary schools in Ireland.
It recognises the effort, commitment and collaboration of school management boards, teachers, children, and the Explorer outreach officers who have engaged in the all-school, marine-themed project.
