Carrickmacross students win World of Work Sustainability Project
A group of second-year students from Inver College in Carrickmacross won a national schools sustainability competition for their creative and educational “Water Agents” campaign which promotes eliminating plastic waste by adopting a policy of banning the use of plastic water bottles within their school.
Principal of Inver College, Mr Cormac Flynn said:
“These students represent the future caretakers of the planet. Their initiative, which I wholly support, has the potential to remove over 1,000 plastic bottles from circulation over the educational lifetime of each student at Inver College – which is an amazing feat.”
The competition was part of the Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI) World of Work programme sponsored by Gas Networks Ireland, in which a group of students completed a practical project to answer the question ‘How do I make my world more sustainable?’.
The winning students from Inver College are currently engaged in fundraising efforts to equip their school with reusable “Water Agents” branded water bottles, to not only replace the use of disposable plastic bottles in the school, but to also serve as a constant reminder to fellow students about the importance of sustainability.
Gas Networks Ireland, the operator of Ireland’s gas network, and Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI), the country’s leading organisation in driving the agenda for responsible business, have been helping to bring the world of work to students for over 20 years. Last year, together they developed a sustainability module and a competition element as part of the World of Work Sustainability Project and now, Gas Networks Ireland is proudly sponsoring the nationwide rollout of the programme which was delivered to students at Inver college by representatives from BITCI and Kingspan.
The World of Work Sustainability Project is an initiative that encourages students to envision a greener future while empowering them to make a positive impact on their environment. To recognise their outstanding achievement, Inver College was presented with a trophy as a symbol of their accomplishment and treated to a celebratory lunch as a token of appreciation for their hard work and commitment.
Speaking as she presented Inver College with the trophy, Gas Networks Ireland‘s Social Sustainability Manager, Grainne O'Reilly said:
"Inver College has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to creating a greener world, and we are thrilled to recognise their exceptional project. The students fully grasped the programme concepts of promoting sustainability, presenting their project creatively, and working as a team. We hope this recognition inspires other schools and students to join us in our mission for a more sustainable future.
“Gas Networks Ireland would like to extend its heartfelt congratulations to Inver College and all the participating schools for their amazing efforts in promoting sustainability through the World of Work Sustainability Project.”