Green-Schools “You, Me and Our Future Seas” 

Poster and Photography Competition Winners Announced

Students share their vision for the future use of the marine environment

For more and to see photos of some of the inspirational winners and the artworks go to the Green-Schools website here.

Students from 12 schools were honoured at an award ceremony celebrating the winners of this year’s Green-Schools Marine Spatial Planning Poster and Photography Competitions: “You, Me and Our Future Seas”. Dublin students Emily Foley from Donabate Portrane Educate Together National School (pictured above), and Aisling O'Brien from St. Attracta’s Senior National School (pictured in banner) were named as regional winners in the junior primary and senior primary categories, respectively. Fourteen students in total were awarded for their posters and photographs depicting their vision for the future of Ireland’s ocean and coast. 

In partnership with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, Green-Schools asked students to create posters showing how they would like Ireland’s seas to be used in the future. The competition ties in with the National Marine Planning Framework, which aims to balance the different demands for using Ireland’s marine territory, including the need to protect and conserve the marine environment. It's about planning when and where human activities take place at sea and ensuring these activities are as efficient and sustainable as possible. The competition was open to schools taking part in the Green-Schools Marine Environment theme, which encourages schools to learn about the importance of the ocean, and to take action to reduce marine litter and raise awareness in their local community about ways we can help the marine environment.

The artwork entered into this year’s poster competition depicted the many ways we interact with the marine environment. The posters showed images of marine wildlife, fishing boats, submarines, scuba divers, offshore wind farms, sea kayakers, litter clean-ups and more. The students embedded important messages in the artwork as well, including “reduce plastic pollution”, “less carbon emissions”, “no overfishing” and “sea life matters.” From the twelve regional poster competition winners, three national winners were selected: Ryan Quintino Schulze from 2^nd class at St Mochulla’s N.S., Tulla, Co. Clare, was selected as the national winner for the Junior Primary Category; Basheer Ahmed Avesh, 6^th class, St Francis N.S., Blackrock, Co. Louth, won the Senior Primary category, and the overall winner of the Secondary School category was Alyssa Minto, a 3^rd year student at Ashbourne Community School, Co. Meath. 

Meanwhile, for the first time this year, secondary school students were invited to submit entries to a new photography competition category. The national winning entry “Gone fishin’” by Charlotte Agnew, St Vincent’s Secondary School, Co. Louth, captures fishermen on a beach during a beautiful sunset, while the highly commended entry was “A seagull in the city” by Jason Cronin Murphy from Scoil Bernadette in Cork. Overall the entries showcase both the incredible talent of the entrants, but also their awareness and care for the marine environment.

Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy, Darragh O’Brien, congratulated the winners of the Green Schools Marine Spatial Planning Competition following the event. Minister O’Brien said:

 “I am delighted that the Department partners in this event and I would like to congratulate everyone who took part.”

As an island nation, Ireland has a deep connection to the surrounding seas, so it’s no surprise that so many young people understand and care about the marine environment and the challenges it faces. This understanding came across vividly in the entries received in the ‘You, Me and Our Future Seas’ competition, showcasing exciting new young talent and capturing everything from plastics to pollution to renewable energy to marine life and habitats.

This is the fourth such competition and the number of entries increases year-on-year which shows our school children, our future leaders, are aware of the challenges and are willing to participate in finding solutions to protect our seas for the future.”

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Green-Schools National Manager, Joanne Scott, said: “I am so inspired by the winning entries. The students have captured the theme with incredible creativity, colour, and passion. Their artwork beautifully showcases unique ways to protect and appreciate our seas. A huge thank you to everyone who participated. It’s been a pleasure to celebrate your talent in person at today’s event”

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Winning students and schools:

Poster Competition

Category: Junior Primary

National Winner: Ryan Quintino Shulze, St. Mochulla's National School, Co. Clare

Regional Winner: Emily Foley, Donabate Portrane Educate Together National School, Co. Dublin 

Regional Winner: Cassie Colbear, St Gerard's Junior School, Co. Wicklow

Regional Winner: Orlaith O'Sullivan, Nagle Rice Primary School, Co. Kerry

Senior Primary

National Winner: Basheer Ahmed Avesh, St. Francis National School, Co. Louth

Regional Winner: Aisling O'Brien, St. Attracta’s Senior National School, Dublin 16

Regional Winner: Vita Nagel, Nagle Rice Primary School, Co. Kerry

Regional Winner: Summerly Olivia Liyanage, St. Joseph's National School, Co. Cavan 

Secondary School Category:

National Winner: Alyssa Minto, Ashbourne Community School, Co. Meath 

Regional Winner: Anna McDonnell, Eureka Secondary School, Co. Meath

Regional Winner: Ruby Oldfield, Corran College, Co. Sligo

Regional Winner: Amélie Duffy, Corran College, Co. Sligo

Photography Competition

National Winner: Charlotte Agnew, St. Vincent's Secondary School, Co. Louth

Highly Commended: Jason Cronin Murphy, Scoil Bernadette, Co. Cork

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Green-Schools 

Green-Schools (known internationally as Eco-Schools), is an international environmental management education programme, environmental management system and award scheme that promotes and acknowledges long-term, whole-school action for the environment, and is operating in 58 countries around the world including; almost all EU member states, Africa, South America, North America, Canada, Oceania and Asia. Green-Schools is an initiative of FEE (the Foundation for Environmental Education). 

The programme is coordinated in Ireland by An Taisce, operated in partnership with Local Authorities and is supported by the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage; Department of Environment, Climate and Communications; Department of Transport; Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media; Department of Foreign Affairs; Irish Aid, National Transport Authority, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Uisce Éireann, Clothes Pod and the Wrigley Company Limited. 

As part of their work on the Marine Environment theme, schools are asked to investigate sources of marine litter, take part in a #2minutebeachclean and carry out a Marine Litter Awareness survey, which demonstrates significant increases in awareness among school populations about these issues, year on year. Schools also learn about Ireland’s marine biodiversity, investigate issues such as the impact of climate change on the oceans, and learn together through workshops and events nationwide.