CBS students in Eco-UNESCO final
STUDENTS from Charleville CBS have won the Young Social Innovator’s ( YSI) 2017 ‘Make Our World Greener Challenge’ with their project ‘Ditch Your Carbon Cup Print.’
They have also qualified for the national final of the ECO-UNESCO Young Environmentalist Awards, the final of which will take place on the11th May at the National Convention Centre Dublin.
The project was the winner of one of the 11 YSI Challenges and is also in the running for the overall Young Social Innovators of the Year Awards. The Charleville students have been invited to present their project to a panel of judges at the ceremony in the Convention Centre Dublin.
The ECO-UNESCO Young environmentalist Awards is Ireland’s biggest all-island celebration of youth ECO-Action. Since 1999, the ECO-UNESCO’s Young Environmentalist Awards has recognised and rewarded the environmental actions of thousands of young people 12 and 18 who are working to protect, conserve and enhance our environment through local environmental action projects, making a difference to their lives and the lives of others locally and globally
Three CBS students from the project team participated in the semi-final stage of the competition at the Munster ECO-Den. They impressed a panel of expert judges by pitching their eco-action project to secure a place in the final, which takes place on May 23. There was great excitement at Charleville C.B.S when the project was shortlisted for the final, where they will join 80 groups from around Ireland.
‘Ditch Your Carbon Cup Print’ is an environmental project. The main aim of the project is to reduce Carbon Emissions (C02) locally and nationally by encouraging people to bring their own reusable cup and ditch the disposable paper cup when getting a take-out beverage in garages and coffee outlets throughout the country.
The students have organised a ‘Ditch Your Carbon Cup Print’ (DYCCP) week in Charleville, May 15th -19th. It is hoped that, during this designated week, people will get a discount on a beverage when they bring their own reusable cup when buying a take-out beverage from shops and garages in the town.
The students sought the help, support and advice of the Charleville Chamber of Commerce. Mr. P. J. McCarthy and Mr. Sean Fitzgibbon from the Chamber offered invaluable advice and encouragement to the students. The Chamber will mentor the students in this endeavour and lend its support to the project. The students described their meeting with the Chamber as; ‘educational, insightful, a good learning curve.
The students intend to collect relevant data for their project by conducting a survey in the town, before and during the designated ‘DYCCP’ week.
The group are calling on the support of the public to vote for their project for the ‘People’s Choice Award 2017’, an award decided by online public poll. Voting is open from May 2-15 on www.ecounesco.ie and the winner will be announced at the final.