Pupils from Aquinas Grammar School in Belfast are doing their part to save the planet after winning a competition as part of The Irish News Young News Readers project.
Challenged to explain why taking care of the environment matters, Aquinas pupils received the top prize after sharing tips on how to recycle, promote the use of public transport and reduce global warming by making small changes to their daily lifestyle.
Furthering their green credentials, the Aquinas students were able to take part in a ‘Tackling Plastics’ workshop, delivered by Eco Schools and in association with the leading digital transformation company, Fujitsu.
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As the world’s largest environmental education programme, the workshops are backed by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and operate in 74 countries and 60,000 schools.
Students learned about how plastics are introduced into our waterways and the most common items found on our beaches.
The second element brought the beach to the classroom as students got to observe microplastics found in sand, shells and commonly found items on our beaches.
Congratulating the class at Aquinas Grammar School, Geraldine Guest, Devolved Delivery Director at Fujitsu said: “We are delighted to be a part of The Irish News Young News Reader project again this year and we hope the students at Aquinas learned something new and interesting about how to protect the environment.
“Their ideas and suggestions on how to recycle, reduce global warming, and how we can all do our bit to help protect the planet were all very insightful. We hope the Eco Schools workshop provided an extension to their brilliant ideas, providing them with a wider insight into the world around us.”
Fujitsu's promotion of educational and environmental causes also includes championing careers in STEM through school engagement and taking part in initiatives such as Earth Hour.
Speaking about the win, Mairead Henry, teacher of class 9J at Aquinas Grammar School added: “A huge thank you to Fujitsu and Eco Schools for hosting this fantastic workshop for our students.
“This was our second year being involved in The Irish News Young News Readers Critical Literacy Media Project and our students loved getting involved every week, discussing each of the weekly themes.”
Calling it “a truly rewarding experience for everyone involved,” she said winning the top prize had been inspiring for her class.
“The workshop has really helped give our students an insight into how they can take small steps to protect the environment. I would strongly recommend the project for any teacher who is considering it and we can’t wait to get involved again next year.”
For more information on The Irish News Young News Reader Project and to register your interest for 2024, visit irishnews.com/ynr.
