ECO-UNESCO Young Environmentalist Awards 2015 launches in Dublin!
Ireland’s biggest celebration of youth eco-action, the Young Environmentalist Awards, was launched on September 3rd in European Union House on Dawson Street by Mr. Alan Kelly TD, Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. The launch was attended by over 30 young people including the 2014 Overall YEA winners ‘Yes We Can’ from Kiltimagh Co. Mayo along with the Super Junior Winners from St. Ibar’s in Wexford.
ECO-UNESCO’s Young Environmentalist Awards (YEA) is an all- Ireland environmental awards programme for young people between the ages of 10 to 18.
Since 1999, ECO-UNESCO has encouraged young people from youth groups, schools and clubs to carry out local environmental action projects, making a difference to the lives of all both locally and globally.
With registration for this year’s Young Environmentalist Awards now open, it’s the perfect time to come together as a group to carry out an Environmental Action Project that interests you and also helps to raise environmental awareness within your community and beyond!!!!
Once registered, a number of groups will have the opportunity to pitch their ECO-Action projects to the ‘ECO- Dragon’s in the regional semi-final judging rounds.
The finalist will then have the opportunity to exhibit their projects at the Awards Gala Showcase and Awards ceremony in Dublin.
The Young Environmentalist Awards is an opportunity to empower young people to come together in groups to make a real difference in their community through environmental action projects of their choosing.
Has your group registered yet?
REGISTER NOW!
Groups of young people aged 10 to 18 have until November 28th to register for the prestigious awards at:
http://ecounesco.ie/register-now
The Young Environmentalist Award Winners 2014
Green teens from St. Louis Community School Kiltimagh were crowned the Overall Senior Winners at ECO-UNESCO’s 15th annual Young Environmentalist Showcase and Awards Ceremony held in the Round Room of the Mansion House on the 20th of May 2014. In attendance were over 600 young people, Mr. Han Qunli, Director of the Division of Ecological and Earth Sciences and the Secretary of the Man and the Biosphere Programme, Minster for Children and Youth Affairs Charlie Flanagan, Lord Mayor of Dublin Oisín Quinn and the youthful master of ceremonies, Stephen Byrne.
The winning project ‘Yes We Can’ scooped a total of three prizes at the event including the Senior Waste Award and Alupro Ireland’s ECO-Alu Award. Their winning eco-action project focused on reducing the amount of aluminium going into landfills. The production of aluminium cans is hugely damaging to the environment and through their project they helped save energy, protect natural resources and habitats, lowered CO2 emissions and reduced global warming and climate change. On the ground, the Kiiltimagh group set up a recycling centre for aluminium cans in their school and publicised it in the local community. They set themselves a target for the school year to recycle 1000kg of cans. Three months into their campaign in 2013, they had already collected over 500kg of aluminium cans for recycling and with only a week or so to go, are well on track towards achieving their target of 1000kg for the school year. The group also established a website providing all the information required to assist other schools and communities to set up recycling centres and reduce the amount of waste aluminium.
The 2014 Overall Junior Award went to St. Colm’s High School from Draperstown in Derry. They won both the Overall Junior, and Junior Biodiversity category with their project, ‘Susan’s Trail’. High on this group’s agenda was the conservation of native species and the promotion of endangered species such as the Irish Whitebeam, swifts and tree sparrows. St. Colm’s worked alongside a number of local groups in the Draperstown area to establish a biodiversity trail and researched and collated information for signage on the various habitats and species found along the trail itself, helping to promote the protection of both native and endangered species.
These winners were just two of the 75 lucky groups who were selected for the finals from almost 4,000 young people throughout the Republic and Northern Ireland at regional ‘‘Dragons’ Den’’ style ECO-Dens in March.
Preceding the official awards ceremony, the public were invited to a colourful exhibition where the Young Environmentalists showcased their ECO-Action project. The ECO-UNESCO team also provided exciting green-themed activities including creative recycling workshops, a water and sustainability zone, a biodiversity zone and a talent zone where visitors were entertained by quality youth performances from the finalists.
It was a truly inspiring event. The level of dedication, innovation and environmental awareness demonstrated by everyone throughout this year’s Young Environmentalist Awards was phenomenal. ECO-UNESCO would like to congratulate not only our very deserving winners, but everybody who took part in the initiative and who through their environmental action projects made their homes, schools and communities a greener place to live, work and study. The actions of these young people can be replicated anywhere in the world to help protect and conserve our environment and we hope that UNESCO clubs worldwide will strive to do their bit for the environment and follow in the footsteps of their Irish counterparts.
Don’t forget to check out our photos on Flicker https://www.flickr.com/photos/eco-unesco/
| OVERALL AWARDS | ||
| St Louis Community School | Senior | Mayo |
| St Colm’s High School | Junior | Derry |
| CATEGORY AWARDS | ||
| St Colm’s High School | Junior Biodiversity | Derry |
| Virginia College | Junior ECO Community Development | Cavan |
| St Mary’s C.B.S. (Portlaoise) | Junior Energy | Laois |
| Belfast Model School For Girls | Junior Waste | Antrim |
| Teach na nDaoine Family Resource Centre | Junior Waste/ECO Art & Design | Monaghan |
| St Killian’s German School | Junior Water | Dublin 14 |
| Borris Vocational School | Senior Biodiversity | Carlow |
| South Eastern Regional College | Senior Biodiversity | Down |
| St Louis Secondary School (Louth) | Senior Climate Change | Louth |
| St Josephs Secondary School | Senior ECO Art & Design | Westmeath |
| St. Aidan’s CS | Senior ECO Community Development | Dublin 24 |
| Youthreach Clara | Senior ECO Health and Wellbeing | Offaly |
| Youthreach Carlow | Senior ECO Health and Wellbeing | Carlow |
| Tullamore College | Senior ECO-Enterprise | Offaly |
| Tullamore College | Senior Energy | Offaly |
| Blakestown Community School | Senior Transport | Dublin |
| St Louis Community School | Senior Waste | Mayo |
| Mercy Secondary School Mounthawk | Senior Water | Kerry |
| SPECIAL AWARDS | ||
| St. Ibars | Super Junior | Wexford |
| Scoil na nÓg | Super Junior | Cork |
| Youth for Sustainable Development; Global Youth Leaders for Change | From Local to Global | Dublin |
| St Louis Community School | ECO-Alu Award | Mayo |
| St Louis Secondary School | ECO-Leader Award | Louth |
| Carndonagh Community School | Peoples Choice | Donegal |
The Regional ECO-Dens
Congratulations to all the groups from all over Ireland that faced the judges in ECO-UNESCO’s regional ECO-Dens in March. The first ECO-Dens were held in Armagh in Ulster and Cork in Munster. We held the final Dens last week with one in Galway in Connaught and two in our headquarters here in the Greenhouse in Dublin in Leinster. The judges were really impressed with all the action projects that have been undertaken to raise environmental awareness and make a positive contribution to the local community. There was a huge variety of projects pitched over the five days and the quality of the projects presented to us at the ECO-Den was extremely high. So well done to you all!!
ECO-Den finalists had to convince a panel of expert judges that their group deserves a spot at the ECO-UNESCO Young Environmentalist Awards 2014 Gala Showcase and Awards Ceremony in Dublin’s Mansion House on Tuesday 20th May. There, participants will get a chance to showcase their work, meet TV celebrities and win fantastic prizes.
In the next stage of the process, an external judge will review all of the project reports in detail over the next two weeks. We will then compile all of the results and hope to let groups know if they are going through to the Showcase and Awards Ceremony by mid-April.
Don’t forget to check our Facebook page where we have been uploading photos from the events – https://www.facebook.com/ecounescoireland
Thanks to all our judges for your expert contribution to our event
The Ulster Judges
Nial O’Connor – Monaghan County Council
Joan Shine – SEELB
Liz Wallace – WELB Curriculum & Advisory Support Services
Feidhlim Ó Seasnáin – ECO-UNESCO
The Munster Judges
Kevin Ryan – Cork City Council
Michael O’Coilean – Kerry County Council
Sinead McDonnell – Limerick City Council
Elaine Nevin – ECO-UNESCO
The Connaught Judges
Sharon Cameron -Mayo County Council
Joan Tarney – Clare County Council
Louise Ryan – Galway VEC
Elaine Nevin – ECO-UNESCO
The Leinster Judges
Dean Eaton – Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council
Gary Brady – Longford County Council
Karen Mahon – Alupro Ireland
Aisling Crowley – Dun Laoghaire VEC
Dara Wyer – Kildare County Council
Mary Cunningham – NYCI
Stella McKervey – Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government
Linda Deegan – EPA
Brian Healy – CDYSB
Feidhlim Ó Seasnáin – ECO-UNESCO
Elaine Nevin – ECO-UNESCO
And a big thanks all our ECO-Den sponsors:
Clare County Council
Cookstown District Council
Cork City Council
Cork County Council
Craigavon Borough Council
Donegal County Council
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council
Fingal County Council
Galway City Council
Kildare County Council
Limerick City Council
Longford County Council
Mayo County Council
Monaghan County Council
Waterford County Council
Also a big thanks to our Gold, Silver and Brozne sponsors
Gold sponsors: The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government
The Department of Children and Youth Affairs
Silver Funders: The Environmental Protection Agency
Bronze Sponsors: Alupro Ireland
Dublin City Council
Enrich
Best of luck to all the groups!!!
Here are some pictures from this year’s ECO-Dens!
,
St. Killian’s German School
South East Regional College after the Ulster ECO-Den
Mullavilly Primary School at the Ulster ECO-Den
Carndonagh Community School doing a planting workshop with Glenn at the Ulster ECO-Den
St. Josephs College, Roscommon at the Leinster ECO-Den
Abbey Community School at the Munster ECO-Den
Tetrapack Wallets and Creative Recycling in Cork at the Munster ECO-Den
Our Leinster ECO-Den Judges
Our very own ECO-UNESCO Green Teens at the Leinster ECO-Den
St. Louis Community School, Kiltimagh at the Connaught ECO-Den
Moyderwell Primary School prepping for their pitch to the judges at the Munster ECO-Den
Young Environmentalists on the Road
We have been busy here at ECO-UNESCO delivering YEA workshops to schools in Northern Ireland under the Challenge Ireland Fund. This training delivered under the Challenge Ireland fund empowers young people to develop their knowledge, awareness and skills and supports the development and implementation of local environmental action projects.We have visited 6 schools so far and have seen some amazing local action projects in the making. It is so inspiring hearing all the great ideas and seeing people taking action and really making a difference. The groups are working on projects ranging from biodiversity to waste and are busy raising awareness and educating people in their school and community about environmental issues.
Best of luck to all the groups!
Glenola Collegiate
Belfast Model School for Girls
Mullavilly Primary School
Grosvenor Grammar School, Belfast
Ballyclare High School
South Eastern Regional College
5 weeks left for your Young Environmentalist Awards project!
Hello Young Environmentalists!
I hope all is going well with your Environmental Action project. I can’t wait to hear how much you have learnt and the fun you had carrying out your project.
Project Submission
The next big milestone is project submission. Projects can be submitted by post from Monday 10th February, 2014 until the deadline on Friday 28th of February, 2014. There will be no extension on this deadline due to the short lead in time to the ECO-Dens.
Project submissions require the following completed documents, in order to judge your project correctly:
- Your registration number marked on all items
- 2014_SubmissionForm
- Your project: Completed written Project Report (max 3000 words) along with evidence of work carried out during the project. This can be supplemented with a video diary, photo scrapbook, CD-ROM, Project diary, Song/music, poetry, drama, etc.
- Teacher/Leader Evaluation sheet (print from Pg 46 of manual available online)
- Participant Evaluation sheet: completed by each group member (Pg 49 of manual)
- Group photo (hard and soft copy).
Please make sure your project description/summary (in the submission form and project template) really shows all the work you have done. We will use this in any future publicity material including the website and the People’s Choice Award so make sure you tell us how great your project is! Include information on how you came up with the project idea, how you developed your action plan, what you did, what your local action project achieved, how you raised awareness and any ways that you linked local to global issues.
As each project is unique, we do not put many restrictions on how groups should present their project, or exactly what to include when submitting. Some groups may have a song, or recycled decorations to show, some may have photos of an area they cleaned up in their community, or a powerpoint presentation of a poster competition they held in school to reduce energy wastage. However, the project template provides a good framework and hits all the points the judges will be looking for!
The Regional ECO-Dens
The Dens provide your group with the opportunity to pitch their project to a panel of judges and network with other young environmentalists in your region. From this regional judging phase, the final 60 shortlisted groups will be chosen to showcase their project at the Annual Showcase and Awards Ceremony on the 20th May 2014. The dates for this years ECO-Dens are as follows:
- March 11th: Ulster: Lough Neagh Discovery Centre, Craigavon
- March 13th: Munster: Lifetime lab, Cork
- March 25th: Connaught: ClareGalway Hotel, Galway
- March 27th & 28th: Leinster: The Greenhouse, Dublin
Well done on all of your Eco-actions. Best of luck!
YEA Registration Deadline December 20th 2013
Due to demand we are extending the deadline for YEA registration. You now have until Friday December 20th 2013 to register your environmental action project.
Our next milestone is Project Submission! Projects must be submitted to us by Friday the 28th of February. In the interest of fairness we won’t be able to accept projects after this date, so please mark it in your diaries!
As always if you have any questions please email yea@ecounesco.ie or ring our hotline 01 666 5491.
Best of luck!
1 Week to Register…
Young Environmentalists,
We at ECO-UNESCO hope all is going well with your environmental action project. We can’t wait to hear about your ideas for environmental action! Over the past few months we have been visiting schools and youth groups around the country with our YEA 2013 Roadshow, where we delivered the YEA 6 Steps to Success training. You can see some photos from the workshops below. It was great to meet with so many of you and we are hugely excited about the creativity, energy and enthusiasm we found in each of the groups we visited-we can’t wait to find out how your project progress!
Don’t forget, if you haven’t done so already, be sure to register your project by the 29th of November. Registration is simple! Groups (between 2-25 members) can now register their projects online.
Action projects are anything from creating a school garden or recycling facility, enhancing local biodiversity levels, tackling waste or climate change and a whole lot more! You carry out the project, and we give you the chance to be rewarded and win some great prizes for doing so!
Most groups are thinking about what environmental issues affect their communities and what issues they are passionate about. If you need some inspiration, don’t forget to have a look at the shortlisted projects from last year.
Don’t forget
- Research – try and find out about the environmental issue so you know why you are doing the project
- Action – What practical actions are you going to take?
- Communication – how will you tell people about the great project you are doing and educate the other students in your school and people in your local community and even further afield about the environmental issue?
- Be creative – Do something different. People sometimes switch off if they feel they are being preached at. Is there a way that you can offer an alternative vision which is better…
Some ideas for communicating your idea include:
Making presentations to:
- your school
- other schools
- other groups (TidyTowns, Residents groups etc)
Contacting local media such as:
- Newspaper
- Radio
Or:
- Organise a launch event/party
- Social media
- Blog/website
- Posters and leaflets
- Displaying the project in a range of venues
- Inviting guest speakers
The YEA is a great way to learn about the environment, take local action and have fun! Best of luck with your projects and don’t forget to register by November 29th!
2013 Young Environmentalist Awards Winners
ECO-UNESCO Young Environmentalist Awards 2013
Well done to everybody who participated in this year’s YEA!! It was a truly amazing year with all of you carrying out hugely inspiring and important eco action projects. What a fantastic honor to have President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins as our keynote speaker on the day and to award the overall winners with their prizes. Congratulations to everybody who took part this year, the standard was extremely high and it is wonderful to see such inspiring eco-action projects taking place around the island of Ireland.
Click here to see some photographs from the day!
Click here to read the 2013 Shortlisted Projects:
The following are the 2013 ECO-UNESCO Young Environmentalist Awards winners:
Overall Senior Winner (Joint winner)
Mountmellick Community School Laois
Communergy
Overall Senior Winner (Joint winner)
ECO UNESCO Peer Education Group Youth Top Gardeners
Overall Junior Winner
SAYSWACC, Dublin
Greener together
Junior Water Category Winner
Colaiste Pobail Setanta, Dublin
Water Warriors
Super Junior Winner (National School Winner)
Scoil Muire Gan Smal Carlow
Planet Pals
Senior Biodiversity Category Winner
ECO-UNESCO Peer Education Programme Dublin
#(LFN) #LoveForNature
Senior Biodiversity Category Winner
Mercy Secondary School Mounthawk, Kerry
Flutterby Butterfly
Senior Climate Change Category Winner
Mountmellick Community School Laois
Communergy
Senior Energy Category Winner
Presentation Secondary School Mitchelstown, Cork
Save today. Survive tomorrow
Senior Transport Category Winner
St. Louis Secondary School Monaghan
Bicycle Use And Safety
Senior Art & Design Category Winner
St Kilian’s German School Dublin
STOMP
Senior Waste Category Winner
ECO-UNESCO Peer Education Programme
YTG
Senior Waste Category Winner
St Brigid’s Vocational School Loughrea, Co. Galway
Hands On
Senior Community Development Category Winner
GAP Ballymun Dublin
Urban Wildlife Garden
Senior ECO Enterprise Category Winner
Mean Scoil Mhuire, Roscommon Town
Melting Moments
Senior ECO Health & Wellbeing Category Winner
ECO-UNESCO ECO-Youth Choices
XHALE
Junior Transport Category Winner
Ennistymon Vocational School, Clare
More Walking, Less driving
Junior Art & Design Category Winner
St. Dominic’s Grammar School, Belfast
Reducing Waste with Great Taste
Junior ECO Community Development Category Winner
SAYSWACC Dublin
Greener Together
Junior ECO Enterprise Category Winner
Avondale Community College Wicklow
The Water Sentinel
Junior ECO Health & Wellbeing Category Winner
Our Lady and St. Patrick’s College Belfast
ECO Revolution
Junior Water Category Winner
Colaiste Pobail Setanta Clonee, Dublin
Water Warriors
Junior Waste Category Winner
Drumcree College, Craigavon, Co. Armagh
Don’t be Trashy, Recycle
The People’s Choice
St. Brigid’s National School Wexford
Our Future 2020
ECO Leader
Olivia O’Brien
Presentation Secondary School Thurles
ECO-Alu Art & Design Category Winner
O’Fiaich College, Dundalk
Crocodile Dundalk
Grow Award
ECO-UNESCO Peer Education Programme Dublin
Grasstonbury
Local To Global Award
Portmarnock Community School
Making A Difference
Waste Matchers Award
Scoil Naomh Therese, Cork
Christmas Leftovers
IEN Biodiversity Award
Meanscoil san Nicolas & St. Augustine’s College, Waterford
Enhanced Characteristics of the Native Dark Honeybee
Most Innovative Group Award
Presentation Secondary School, Thurles
Generation Green
Most Passionate Project Award
Clara Youth Reach
Wheeling in the Years
Best Display
ECO-UNESCO Peer Education Programme Dublin
Love the Trees
Highly Commended
Ballinrobe Community School, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo
Plashouse
Eureka Secondary School, Kells, Co. Meath
Saving Energy
Villiers Secondary School, Co. Limerick
The Garden
Teresian School, Donnybrook, Dublin
Ecook Book
St. Brigid’s Vocational School, Loughrea, Co. Galway
Every Drop Counts
St Thomas the Apostle NS, Rosegreen, Cashel, Co. Tipperary
Butt Out; What Effect does Tobacco have on Living Things?
Mary Immaculate Secondary School, Lisdoonvarna
Has the Sea an Affect on the Turloughs of North Clare
Project submission is nearly here!!!
Project submission is nearly here!!!
3 weeks left for your Young Environmentalist Awards project!
If you have not started your project yet or if you feel you don’t have enough time, don’t worry; I have included plenty of ideas for projects you or your youth group/class can complete within the next 3 weeks.
Please find information below about:
- Achievable projects (if you have yet to start)
- Project submission (Feb 11th-22nd; be aware of mid-term break)
- Awards
Achievable projects:
- Poster competition to raise awareness of an environmental issue (this can be done in an art class and last 1 class or a week, or two weeks. Then simply put the posters up around the schools and get some teachers / students to vote. Be creative….
- Planting a vegetable garden / wild flower garden. This can be done during lunch time, in class, as a youth group or after school, simply plan your location, make sure soil is good and scatter some wild flower seeds. You can grow your flowers, increasing bio diversity, and perhaps research the many benefits of planting wildflowers…..
- Cleaning up an area in your community. Is there an area that’s dirty, graffiti on the side of a house/shop, in your neighbourhood, by your school, in a park/beach. Have a look around, do a bit of research and get other classes / community groups on board too…..
Some other ideas:
- Create a magazine / newsletter / webpage / app about an environmental issue and how to improve the environment
- Wildlife garden/ insect Inn linking with other groups in your area (elderly, variety of schools/groups)
- Environmental art exhibition in school, inviting other groups to participate on common theme
- Environmental song / drama related
- Survey of attitudes to environmental issues from a variety of groups
- Follow an environmental issue in the media and produce a report / multi media presentation
- An eco-information pamphlet which encourages students, staff and the community to conserve energy/ reduce water wastage or tackle an environmental issue of your choice.
To add to your project you could also consider: Letters to local councilors / Taoiseach / newspapers
Invite environmental guest speakers in to your class
Please note: Your school/group may have already carried out an environmental project or are in the process of doing something associated with the environment, you can submit it as a Young Environmentalist Awards project?
E.g. Christmas decorations from recycled materials, Halloween costumes from items you had around the house, an area in your community you cleaned up and/or replanted, CSPE classes can register their Action project, as long as it covers an environmental issue. It will give your students extra recognition for their hard work. A TY group considering learning a new skill for other awards/programmes e.g. Gaisce /Green flag. Last year we received projects which involved art, music, drama, science, technology, school gardens and more.
The ECO-UNESCO Young Environmentalist Awards programme supports, compliments and rewards projects done as part of other programmes such as: Green/Eco-Schools, Gaisce Awards, One good idea, Duke of Edinburgh Awards, IMPACT Awards, Young Social Innovators, BT Young Scientist.
Project submission: (February 11th – 22nd 2013):
Projects can be submitted by post from Monday 11th February, 2012 until the deadline on Friday 22nd February, 2013.
Please do not submit any 3D pieces/ See note below*
Project submissions require the following completed documents, in order to judge your project correctly:
- Your registration number (emailed to the school leader) marked on all items: reports, 3d pieces, emails.
- Submission form (available on the website or can be emailed to you)
- Your project: Completed written project report (max 3000 words, roughly 4-6 pages) along with evidence of work carried out during the project. This can be supplemented with a video diary, photo scrapbook, CD-ROM, Project diary, Song/music, poetry, drama, etc.
- Teacher/Leader Evaluation sheet (print from Pg 46 of manual).
- Participant Evaluation sheet: completed by each group member (Pg 49 of manual) http://ecounesco.ie/images/YEA/yea%20manual%202013.pdf
- Group photo (hard or soft copy) Print clearly each participants name on the back of the photo, include reg. number.
As each project is unique, we do not put many restrictions on how you should present their project, or exactly what to include when submitting. Some groups may have a song, or recycled decorations to show, some may have photos of an area they cleaned up in their community, or a powerpoint presentation of a poster competition they held in school to reduce energy wastage.
*Please note: If you have 3D pieces, art/fashion pieces, decorations or large posters, photograph these pieces and submit the photos only with your report. Clearly mark your registration number on the back of each photo. Groups should consider showing scale to give a true representation of their project. Once submitted, projects cannot be returned to entrants, but will be available (on the day) for presentation at ECO Dens and on the morning of the Showcase and Awards ceremony. *Groups are advised to keep copies of all project materials for their presentation at the ECO-Dens and the Showcase and Awards ceremony.
Awards:
Certificate of Participation: All participants receive a Certificate of Participation, posted out in early May*.
Shortlisted Project: All shortlisted projects receive a certificate for their school /youth group
Highly Commended: Highly Commended groups receive a framed certificate and group members will receive a Highly Commended certificate of participation (non-award winning groups who have scored outstanding marks)
*groups attending the Showcase and Awards ceremony will receive their certificate on the day.
There are 3 overall winners of the ECO-UNESCO Young Environmentalist Awards:
- Overall Senior winner
- Overall Junior winner
- Overall SuperJunior winner
Category Awards
Winners: There are Junior & Senior winners of each of the 10 categories.
*Super Junior Age group is non-category specific and is awarded as a separate special award.
Please note that ECO UNESCO reserves the right to eliminate and/or combine categories where there are a low number of entries or where entries are deemed not to have reached the required standard. In this situation there might not be an award made in each category.
Click here for descriptions of each category
Additional Special Awards
The following special awards will also be awarded
(click on the links below for details):
Super Junior Award
NEW ECO-Alu Art & Design Award
WasteMatchers – Something New from Something Old Award
Local to Global Award
People’s Choice Award
Toyota ECO-UNESCO Club of the Year Award
ECO-Leader of the Year Award
ECO Sustainability Award
Find out more here: http://ecounesco.ie/awards.html
We are looking forward to a high number of project entries this year, and if you need any help with your project or more information submitting your project please feel free to contact me at yea@ecounesco or phone 353 (1) 6625491.
|
Region |
Date |
Location |
|
Munster |
Friday March 8th |
Lifetime Lab, |
|
Ulster |
Tuesday March 12th |
Lough Neagh Discovery Centre, |
|
Connaught |
Thursday March 14th |
Claregalway Hotel, |
|
Leinster |
Wednesday March 20th and Thursday March 21st |
ECO-UNESCO, |
2013
ECO-UNESCO’s Young Environmentalist Awards 2013 is well underway. We will be updating the blog every week with updates and information, so remember to keep checking in.
Thousands of young environmentalists in schools, youth groups and Youthreach centres throughout the Island of Ireland are currently making positive contributions to their environment and community by carrying out environmental action projects. If you have yet to register your environmental action project please do so now. Each young person who submits a project receives a Certificate of Participation. The participant’s efforts are recognised as well as giving them the opportunity to showcase their project and win further prizes and awards.
ECO-UNESCO Young Environmentalist Awards programme supports, compliments and rewards projects done as part of other programmes such as: Green/Eco-Schools, Gaisce Awards, One good idea, Duke of Edinburgh Awards, IMPACT Awards, Young Social Innovators, BT Young Scientist etc.
Following some excellent project entries in 2012, we have introduced a new category this year: ECO Health and Wellbeing. For further information on this new category, please visit our website.
Your school/group may have already carried out an environmental project or are in the process of doing something associated with the environment, why not submit it as a Young Environmentalist Awards project? E.g. Christmas decorations from recycled materials, Halloween costumes from items you had around the house, an area in your community that needs to be cleaned up and replanted, CSPE action projects based on an environmental issue, TY group considering learning a new skill for other awards/programmes e.g. Gaisce /Green flag or you could host a poster competition to highlight an environmental issue, eg minimising energy waste in the school/home. Develop a flyer to encourage people to minimise water waste (as water charges are due to come into Ireland). Simply choose an environmental issue and submit your project into the Young Environmentalist Awards.
There are also loads of past projects and ideas and support information in our manual (see below), but should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me. Click below for the Young Environmentalist Awards resource Manual:
Click to access yea%20manual%202013.pdf
Please feel free to browse the ECO-UNESCO website http://www.ecounesco.ie where you will find links to sample projects, videos and pictures of last year’s awards, which will provide you and your group with regular updates and Young Environmentalist Awards news.
Registration is free and only takes a few minutes to complete: http://ecounesco.ie/yea-register-now.html
When you register you receive a free support pack which includes submission requirements, judging criteria and many more useful tools and tips.
Awards:
We continue to offer a number of awards which were introduced in 2011.
This year once again we will have our very popular People’s Choice Award where we aim to get more people aware of the fantastic eco-action being carried out throughout Ireland and the North by encouraging the public to vote online.
The Local to Global Award to encourage projects on global sustainability.
The ECO-Leader Award for committed Young Environmentalist Award Leaders.
The ECO Sustainability Award for Centres and Organisations Award that are sustainable in practice. Contact ysd@ecounesco.ie for more information.
The ‘WasteMatchers’ Award which places emphasis on creating ‘something new from something old’; (this award is sponsored by Cork County Council and only open to groups from Cork). http://www.wastematchers.com/showPage.php?ID=31&PHPSESSID=8ed6c5ab11ba051dd3727399d4493ae5
We are also offering a special Alu-ECO Art and Design Award which goes to projects who come up with creative and innovative ways of using old aluminium e.g. cans etc. The prize will be awarded to the entrant who has best used aluminium cans and foils to create something different. The judges are looking for creativity, imagination and innovation and the winning creation will be chosen for its originality and environmental message. http://www.aluproireland.ie/Schools.html for further information and ideas.
Once you have completed your environmental action and recorded your project, submit it by post or in person to ECO UNESCOs office in Dublin.
Project Submission (Deadline February 22nd 2013)
Project submissions require the following completed documents, in order to judge your project correctly:
• Your registration number (see above) marked on all items: reports, 3d pieces, emails.
• Submission form (download on our website or we will email this to you).
• Completed written project report (max 3000 words) along with evidence of work carried out during the project. This can be supplemented with a video diary, photo scrapbook, CD-ROM, Project diary, Song/music, poetry, drama, etc.
• Teacher/Leader Evaluation sheet (print from Pg 46 of manual available online).
• Participant Evaluation sheet: completed by each group member (Pg 49 of manual)
• Group photo (hard or soft copy).
Projects can be submitted by post from Monday 11th February, 2012 until the deadline on Friday 22nd February, 2013.
We will run our regional ‘Dragons Den’ style ECO-Dens in March 2013, which were hugely successful and popular in 2011 and 2012. The Dens provide your group with the opportunity to pitch their project to a panel of judges and network with other young environmentalists in your region.
March 8th: Munster: Lifetime lab, Lee road, Cork
March 12th: Ulster: Lough Neagh Discovery centre, Craigavon
March 14th: Connaught: ClareGalway hotel
March 20th & 21st: The Green house, Dublin
From this regional judging phase, the final 60 shortlisted groups will be chosen to showcase their project at the Annual Showcase and Awards Ceremony on the 22nd May, 2013.
From all of us at ECO-UNESCO, we look forward to receiving your project and hearing all about the great environmental work you get up to over the year. Remember the ECO-UNESCO team is always here for you and your group to offer support throughout every step of the programme.
For further information, please contact:
Sarah-Jane Taylor, Environmental Youth Officer yea@ecounesco.ie T. +353 1 6625491
ECO-UNESCO Young Environmentalist Awards 