Pride of Place visit for Curraghboy school pupils' eco-friendly project

By David Flynn

The talent, creativity and hard work of pupils from Curraghboy NS was on full display for two judges from the national Pride of Place awards when they visited the South Roscommon school on Thursday of last week.

The Curraghboy QR Code Litter Patrol project, created by the school's pupils in collaboration with Curraghboy Tidy Towns, was one of five Roscommon entries shortlisted for Pride of Place awards adjudication.

The judges' visit last Thursday afternoon, facilitated by Curraghboy NS principal Rory Leonard, displayed how the children were contributing to the fight for climate action and biodiversity.

Outlining how the QR Code Litter Patrol works, Mr Leonard said the pupils take part in regular clean-ups around the village, and scan QR codes to track the types and locations of the litter they collect.

"It's smart, it’s simple, and it shows that even small hands can make a big difference with a little bit of tech and a lot of heart," said Rory.

"But we didn’t stop there, our students have even been experimenting with Generative AI Teachable Machines, and they’ve used Microbit devices to measure soil moisture as part of our biodiversity garden project.

"We’re proud to be blending modern technology with timeless lessons about nature and sustainability," he added.

"Every initiative we take part in, whether it’s planting pollinator-friendly flowers, reducing waste in our classrooms, or learning how to code, is driven by the belief that young people can lead the way in shaping a better future.

"And when we work together with our teachers, our families, our local community and each other, amazing things happen."

On Thursday Mr Leonard and six of the national school’s pupils showed Roscommon’s Leas Cathaoirleach, Cllr John Keogh, Westmeath Independent representatives, and the two Pride of Place judges, a tour of the school grounds which encompass up to four acres.

“Our school may be small in size but we love to think big, especially when it comes to caring for our environment, learning through innovation and building connections that stretch far beyond the classroom walls,” said the Curraghboy NS principal.

The primary school pupils put on some interesting displays for the Pride of Place judges, including details of their involvement in the making of a film!

The movie is about two children going back in time using microbits, tiny computer devices that can fit in one's pocket.

“They did the whole lot, filming, coming up with storyboards, and they wanted to focus on the nearby Lough Funshinagh and flooding, which affected our local community, and which is very much at the forefront of our thoughts,” said Rory.

Impressively, the children were also involved in the making of a teachable Artificial Intelligence (AI) machine. Using pictures of a banana peel, they were able to teach the AI machine to tell whether it was recyclable or compost.

The judges had the pleasure of walking around the school grounds during the sunny afternoon, and saw such sights as a sustainable climbing wall made of eco-friendly materials. They also saw a number of birdfeeders on the grounds and a corner of the school grounds which was developed to allow the growing of wildflowers.

Mr Leonard said that over the past year sustainability and biodiversity is at the core of everything they do at the school, and one of Curraghboy NS accomplishments has been earning their fifth Green Flag, this time for ‘Global Citizenship - Litter and Waste’.

“It’s a symbol of how every single child here understands the importance of protecting our planet, locally and globally,” he said.

“In fact, 'thinking globally' is something we take quite literally. We’ve had the amazing opportunity to collaborate with a school in Greece, sharing ideas about biodiversity and how young people around the world can make a difference.

“We also love to explore science and technology as tools for change.”

Another South Roscommon entry for this year's Pride of Place awards, the Roscommon Women’s Network (RWN) 'Cycle Up Textiles' project in Athleague, was also visited by the judges last Thursday.

The IPB Pride of Place awards is an annual competition organised by peacebuilding charity Co-operation Ireland and sponsored by IPB Insurance.

This year's winners will be announced at an event in Limerick’s Strand Hotel on Friday, November 7.