Two Galway schools have been rewarded for encouraging sustainable travel to school.
Gort Community School has won the Walking School (secondary ) of the Year 2022 while Scoil Mhuire, Oranmore won the Park ‘n’ Stride School (Primary ) award in Ireland's new Travel School of the Year awards.
As part of the Green-Schools Programme, schools undertook the challenge in February to adapt more sustainable ways to get to school for two weeks, such as cycling, walking, scooting and park ‘n’ stride.
The challenge, now in its seventh year, aims to promote real, lasting change in the travel behaviour of staff and students.
The students and staff at Gort Community School took the challenge seriously, and almost doubled the numbers of students walking to school over the course of the challenge. They promoted the challenge through posters in and outside the school, held a non-uniform day to raise prizes to later use as incentives, and organised a Valentine’s Day ‘Walk Your Way to a Healthy Heart’ walk for students. And through storms and weather warnings, the group were steadfast in their goals, through using social media and community networks.
Green-Schools travel manager Jane Hackett says habits are hard to break – particularly during the colder, darker winter months.
"I’m seriously impressed with the hard work and dedication these students put into changing travel habits at their school. We have a primary school here that grew their cycling numbers from one sole student to 15, in a school population of just 25. These results aren’t easily come by, so I can’t congratulate our nine winners enough.”
All winning schools: Walking School of Year 2022 (Primary ): St. Stephen’s NS, Navan, Meath; Walking School of the Year 2022 (Secondary ): Gort Community School, Galway; Cycling School of the Year 2022 (Primary ): Gaelscoil Sáirséal, Limerick; Cycling School of the Year 2022 (Primary ): St Brendan’s National School, Carlow;Cycling School of the Year 2022 (Secondary ): Malahide Community School, Dublin; Scooting School of the Year 2022 (Primary ): Scoil Áine, Raheny; Scooting School of the Year 2022 (Primary ): St. Mary’s Primary School, Dungarvan, Waterford; Park ‘n’ Stride School of the Year 2022 (Primary ): Knockanean National School, Ennis, Clare; Park ‘n’ Stride School of the Year 2022 (Primary ): Scoil Mhuire, Oranmore, Galway.
