Euro expert Ava to jet off on educational EU adventure
CORK County Council said they are proud to sponsor a prize winning Mitchelstown students upcoming trip to Europe
Ava Lawton – a Transition Year student at Presentation Secondary School in Mitchelstown – is set to travel to Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg after winning a top prize in the weekly Graduate.ie online citizenship and democracy quiz.
Ava will join 24 other students from Ireland on the educational trip during which they will represent Ireland in Euroscola – a youth EU Parliament.
During the trip they will get an opportunity to debate issues and ask their questions directly to a Member of the European Parliament.
Among the topics discussed last year were the consequences of Brexit on member states; the influence of lobbying on EU Legislation and the measures and timeline of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Mayor of County Cork Cllr Patrick Gerard Murphy congratulated Ava on her achievement.
“it’s wonderful to see the level of engagement that young people in Cork have with their local and global communities,” said Mayor Murphy.
“Participating in youth politics and community activity at a young age demonstrates remarkable maturity, generosity and strength of character,2 he said.
“On behalf of Cork County Council, I am extremely proud to sponsor Ava’s trip to Strasbourg. I am sure that both Ava and her community will benefit greatly from the experience,” said the Mayor.
As well as her interest in European affairs Ava is also an active participant in Comhairle na Nóg, which provides young people with a voice in local politics.
In recent years, Cork County’s Comhairle has advocated on issues varying from rural transportation to sexual education and cyber security.
In 2019 they will be tackling issues around school pressure and stress.