Winning students Mark Doolan and Matthew Collins with Julie O’Donoghue, Corporate Responsibility Manager at Gas Networks Ireland and 6th Class Teacher Seamus Barry
Students from Ballybrown National School, Carrig East, Co. Limerick have won a nationwide competition to raise awareness of Carbon Monoxide and the dangers that it can pose in our homes.
6th class students Mark Doolan and Matthew Collins had taken part in the Junior Achievement Ireland (JAI) Energize programme which is run in partnership with Gas Networks Ireland (GNI).
The competition featured hundreds of entries from all over Ireland however Mark and Matthew’s poster, featuring creative imagery and a poem about the dangers of carbon monoxide, was deemed first among equals. Thanks to the efforts of Mark and Matthew, their class received a prize presented by Gas Networks Ireland. Further carbon monoxide poster competitions will take place in next two school terms. The students were guided by their Energize programme volunteer Andy Cunningham from Dell and teacher Seamus Barry.
Class Teacher Seamus Barry said: “The Energize programme was a wonderful way to introduce the practical side of science to students. The carbon monoxide poster competition really grabbed my class’s attention and the fact that Mark and Matthew’s entry won is the cherry on the cake. Thanks to Andy from Dell for his work with the students – he was a great role model for the working world – and Gas Networks Ireland for supporting such an important initiative.”
The winning entry from Mark and MatthewCarbon monoxide awareness is an important element of the recently launched Gas Networks Ireland supported Energize programme. Energize will introduce science to over 5,000 primary school students all over Ireland with the help of 200 volunteers from local businesses who will be trained, facilitated and supported by Junior Achievement Ireland. The overall aim of the programme is to cultivate an interest in science so that students continue with the subject to second level education.
Ian O’Flynn, Head of Commercial and Corporate Affairs at Gas Networks Ireland commented: “At Gas Networks Ireland, we’re big supporters of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), as they are at the centre of our business. Our long-term objective in supporting STEM education is to develop students’ interest in STEM subjects, with the ultimate aim of inspiring the workforce of the future to pursue STEM careers. This is the first year of our new primary school STEM programme, Energize, which contains an important module about the dangers of carbon monoxide and the warning signs of poisoning.
Congratulations to the students at Ballybrown National School for winning the Term 1 Energize art competition. I’m delighted that so many schools have already engaged with Energize and that we’ve received entries to our carbon monoxide safety poster competition from schools across Ireland. Most importantly, more students are now aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide and will be able to spot the warning signs in the future”.
We are now accepting entries for all Term 2 posters. See more details at https://www.jai.ie/our-programmes/energize-competition.html.
If you would like to register your interest in having Energize delivered in your school, please contact Junior Achievement Ireland at [email protected]