YEA Awards National Showcase Finals 2023

DGS was represented by 2 teams at the Young Environmentalist Awards (YEA) Showcase National Finals 2023 which took place at the National Convention Centre in Dublin on May 26.
 
Environmental Expert-ees made it through to the Senior Category Finals, the team on the day being Sarah, Lucy, Holly and Kaylin, all TY students. Their project was based on fast fashion and was nominated for the Waste Award category.
 
DGS Young Environmentalists qualified for the Junior Category Finals, the team being Naomi and Cillian, ably assisted on the day by Neyva, with team member Grace absent, all 1 Green students. Their project was based on Green Schools and was nominated for the Climate Change category. The project emerged from their CSPE class, where students applied themselves to social issue projects.
 
They were joined on the day by Ashik, Naomi’s brother, and a past category winner at the YSI Showcase. Ashik energised and led a green movement among the student body during his time in DGS. The green team he led picked up the Waste Award at the YEA National Showcase Finals back in 2019. It was great to have Ashik present lending his support to both teams on the day.
 
Both teams originated as Young Social Innovators (YSI) projects, before deciding to also commit to the YEA Programme. Having achieved a vast amount from their participation in the YSI Programme, and given that both projects were environmental in nature, the students decided to enter for the YEA Awards.
 
Throughout all categories, 279 projects from the whole island entered for the YEA Programme. YEA is an all-Ireland competition. 104 made it through to the National Finals. Both teams came through 2 qualifying rounds. The first round focussed on their reports. The semi-finals, where they had to travel to the Lough Neagh Discovery Centre in Craigavon, were based on interviews. Both teams impressed their judging panels to qualify for the Finals.
 
No awards were picked up on the day. Both teams took in the atmosphere and enjoyed just being a part of the National Showcase. Looking back, the students can be proud of all that they have achieved on a personal level and for their teams from their involvement in both the YSI and YEA Programmes. Both are highly worthy Programmes. 
 
A new group of TYs will hopefully come on board next academic year to take on the YSI and YEA batons. The hope is also that 1 Green students will continue on their YSI journeys into second year, and perhaps a few more will also come on board for YEA.
 
Well done to all who participated. Congratulations to those who completed this year’s journey at the National Convention Centre in Dublin – Sarah, Lucy, Holly, Kaylin, Naomi and Cillian. A great deal has been achieved.
 
 

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