Five Mayo primary schools make their mark in Our World Awards
FIVE Mayo primary schools have made their mark in the 2025 Our World Awards as Irish Aid proudly celebrates 20 years of the national awards programme.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s flagship programme with primary schools has seen thousands of young people become inspired to engage with global issues and take action for a fairer, more sustainable world.
This year, Mayo schools were encouraged to learn about the lives of children and their families in Mozambique, Somalia, and The Lao People’s Democratic Republic, also known as Laos, focusing on how Ireland and 192 other countries are working together to create a better future for all through support for the 17 UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development.
The participating schools were: Holy Trinity NS, Westport; Kinaffe NS, Swinford; Mayo Abbey NS; Irishtown NS, Claremorris; and St. Joseph’s NS, Ballinrobe.
Pupils explored the lives of children in other countries, while also highlighting the important work being done in their own communities to create a better world. Their projects beautifully combined global learning with local action, demonstrating their understanding of global citizenship and their role in making a positive impact for a better world.
Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Neale Richmond, expressed his delight at the number of schools taking part in this year’s awards.
“This year saw an impressive rise in the number of entries for the Our World Awards. This response highlights the growing emphasis on Global Citizenship Education in our primary schools, which is very encouraging.
“International development has a positive impact on the lives of people who are trying to survive hunger, poverty, inequality, climate crises, natural disasters, political instability and conflict. This is why the Our World Awards are so important, to increase awareness of global issues in schools and highlight how we all have a part to play in helping to make the world a better place, by sparking creativity and critical thinking and building empathy, awareness, and a sense of global responsibility.”
Schools were provided with a suite of specially created cross-curriculum teaching and learning materials to make participating as easy and as enjoyable as possible for both teachers and their pupils. These materials included a colourful pupil magazine packed with information, quizzes and questions; lesson plans, activity sheets and online games, all of which were available in English and as Gaeilge, in print and digital format.
Judging is now underway and shortlisted schools will be invited to the national final taking place at the Printworks, Dublin Castle, on May 30 where their entries will be celebrated and the Our World Awards School of the Year 2025 will be announced.