Isla McEnroe, Mia Bednarek, Bláthinaid Macken, Junior Mayor, Neil Boyle, Junior Mayor, Aisling Fallon and Alex Mannion, from Coosan NS, with Cllr Frankie Keena, Sheila Plunkett, TUS, Fiachra McLoughlin, Arcadia Retail Park, and Morgan Fagg, Arcadia Retail Park.

Local students' climate ideas showcased at Athlone event

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An enthusiastic and expanded audience celebrated the environmental creativity of students from across the Midlands at the recent Arcadia Creative Climate Awards (ACCA) exhibition held on the TUS Athlone campus.

The awards event, which challenges primary and secondary school students to come up with ideas for improving their local environment, have been running for the last six years with this year's annual exhibition being held on Tuesday, April 21.

The 2026 awards attracted participation from 10 schools, with young people presenting a total of 11 projects addressing key environmental challenges.

From practical initiatives at primary level to broader sustainability concepts at secondary level, the work demonstrated strong awareness and creativity in tackling climate-related issues.

A continued focus on community involvement this year saw an increased attendance from parents and families, contributing to a lively and supportive atmosphere as visitors engaged directly with students.

The exhibition was open to the public during the morning, followed by formal presentations from TUS representatives in the afternoon.

The Arcadia Creative Climate Awards continue to run alongside Cllr Frankie Keena's 'Junior Mayor' initiative, which encourages young people to contribute to environmental and local policy discussions.

"This was another successful event under the Junior Mayor Initiative for this academic year. The high standard of entries from the schools overwhelmed me," said Cllr Keena.

"I pay tribute to all the students and staff and thank them for participating in this important Climate Expo. The TUS venue was perfect, thanks to Joanne Gillivan and her team. I also extend a special thanks to Fiachra McLoughlin from Arcadia Retail Park for his generous sponsorship, and to Mark, Katie and Morgan for their work in organising the event."

Grace, Doaa, Edward, Clodagh, Aniruthan and Ajayi, from St Mary’s NS, pictured at their ‘Clean Commute’ project stand at the ACCA exhibition in TUS Athlone. Photos: Paul Molloy.

Fiachra McLoughlin, Director of Arcadia Retail Park, added: "We are delighted with the level of engagement at this year's awards.

"The increased attendance from families and the wider community added greatly to the experience for students, and it is inspiring to see their ideas being shared with such a broad audience."

A Cross-Section of Projects

The climate awards entry by students from Coosan NS focused on reducing food waste.

“Our 6th class noticed how much food was going to waste in our school so we decided to focus our project on this,” the Coosan entry said.

"We worked on this project for a few months. We gathered data and esearch and shared this with all the classes in our school. We really enjoyed doing it.

"We think we made a huge impact on food waste in our school and community."

At St Mary’s NS, the pupils’ 'Clean Commute Crew' initiative delivered measurable results.

The project centred on student-led surveys, awareness campaigns and action days, leading to a measurable reduction in car usage and a huge increase in active travel across the St Mary's NS school community.

The initiative also promoted sustainable travel options, including park and stride schemes and bike workshops.

Students from the Scoil na Geithre Maistri gaelscoil in Athlone highlighted biodiversity with their entry.

"Our project highlighted the important role bees play in the environment, especially in relation to cross-pollination. We constructed several bee hives and flower boxes with bee-friendly plants and created areas where wildflowers grow," the Scoil na Geithre Maistri participants said.

At Ardnagrath NS, meanwhile, the 'Willow Weavers' project combined themes of biodiversity and wellbeing.

"We planted willow rods to make a fedge and a hut along the back of our biodiversity garden. A fedge is a living fence made from a hedge," said the Ardnagrath team. "Willow is flexible and fast growing, and it roots easily from cuttings, so we didn’t need plastic pots. We watched it grow this Spring.

"The leaves support over 260 insects, and the catkins provide nectar for bees. This hands-on project helped us understand sustainability, teamwork and the importance of biodiversity. Weaving also supports wellbeing and encourages people to interact with nature."

Fiona, Mattie, Liga, Niamh, Robert, Jake, Eabha, Nancy, Chloe and Ellen with their teacher Orla Heavin, from Ardnagrath NS, at the Arcadia Creative Climate Awards exhibition.

The Arcadia Creative Climate Awards continue to provide an important platform for environmental awareness and innovation, strengthening connections between schools, communities and future sustainability leaders.

2026 Projects: Arcadia Creative Climate Awards

Clonbonny NS

'Save the Bees, One Cap At A Time'

Junior Mayor: Adam O’Neill, [DM] Chloe Miley & Jack Gaynor

Coosan NS

'Food Should be Eaten, Waste Should Be Beaten'

Junior Mayor: Bláthnaid Macken and Neil Boyle

St Mary's NS

'The Clean Commute Crew'

Junior Mayor: Noel Galos

Dean Kelly Boys' NS

'D.K. Crew'

Junior Mayor: Szymon De Almeida

Athlone Community College

'DCHD Unit' & 'Trees, Tracks and Tomorrow'

Junior Mayor: Devika Sahai

Ballinahown NS

'Ballinahown 6th Class'

Junior Mayor: Leah Daly

Ardnagrath NS

'Willow Weavers'

Junior Mayor: Chloe McGee, [DM] Jayden McCallon

Marist College

'Marist Movers'

Junior Mayor: Harry Costello

Milltown National School

'The Best Out Of The Rest'

Junior Mayor: Pearl Nally

St Ciaran's NS Baylin

'Nature's Minions'

Junior Mayor: Nikola Kubala

Scoil na gCeithre Maistri

'An Bhfaca Tu Na Beacha'

Junior Mayor: Eve-Rae and Fiachra

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