Staff received an informative workshop with Aoife Rankin from Worldwise Schools on how the different subject departments could link global issues into their subject areas.  Following on from this a number of activities to create awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals emerged across a number of subjects.

• 1st year Home Ec students engaged in a pilot programme developed by ‘Stop Food Waste’ where they looked at practical ways to reduce food waste at home. (For tips see  www.stopfoodwaste.ie ). These students also looked at textile sustainability and participated in an upcycling project before Christmas where they took an old jumper and using scraps of materials/fabrics upcycled it into a Christmas themed jumper rather than going out and buying a new one.
• Poster Competition among 1st years to promote awareness on ‘Climate Change’
• 2nd years engaged in a number of projects throughout the year. Students engaged in a workshop on Energy Sustainability delivered by Ingrid Foley from SEAI. The Crocus Project was also undertaken by 2nd years to celebrate International Holocaust Memorial Day (27th January). Students learned about the dangers of racism and intolerance and the importance of having respect for everyone. Crocus Flowers were planted and are a symbol of new life and hope for the future. In English students researched and traced, as part of persuasive writing, the evolution of climate action form youths from Suzuki Severin in Rio 1992 to the young climate activists in Davos this year. The ongoing refugee crises in Syria was also touched on.
• 3rd year Maths students discussed what affects a countries well being and how to work out a countries wealth by looking at GDP per capita. They looked at tables of information displaying wealth of different countries and the same information in line graphs.
• Transition Years engaged in a cross curricular Global Citizen Module. In Home Economics they look at issues around Clean Water & Sanitation on World Toilet Day, engaged in human rights workshop with Amnesty International and awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals with RECREATE. In their business studies classes they explored sustainability in Industry which also included a trip to The Irish Aid Centre in Dublin to learn more about the work they do in developing countries.
• 6th years looked at the dire use of plastics on the environment by way of infographics and articles to build knowledge and awareness of the consequences of our collective plastic use, with particular emphasis on oceanic pollution and microbiology.
• Members of the Social Justice Club participated in Amnesty International’s ‘Write for Rights’ campaign through their English classes. They wrote letters on behalf of political prisoners in a number of countries, to their respective heads of state to apply pressure for their release. They also helped create awareness on global litter and waste which is our current Green Flag theme in school.
• Green Schools Committee worked on creating awareness around global litter and waste which is the theme of our current green flag application process.