Nearly 100 schools across County Dublin started the month of February with a plan to change their travel habits for good. An initiative of the Green-Schools Programme, the Big Travel Challenge asks school communities to focus on modes of active travel such as walking, cycling or scooting, and try to get as many people using that mode as possible over a period of 9 school days. Schools can also promote a range of awareness initiatives in their school communities where active travel may be less practical.
The 98 schools are among 477 schools nationwide currently working on the Travel theme of the Green-Schools Programme with the aim of being awarded a Green Flag for Travel. More than 2,400 schools nationwide have been awarded a Travel flag since the programme began. This year’s challenge marks the eighth year of successfully encouraging more students to enjoy the benefits of getting to school on foot, on wheels or by public transport. Walking, cycling, wheeling and scooting to school are all beneficial to students’ physical and mental health, and can help reduce emissions from the cars on the road.
In 2024, Tipperary school, Cappawhite National School, were named ‘Ireland’s Travel School of the Year’ following their efforts to increase the numbers of staff and students walking to school. Winning schools in 2025 will receive cash prizes to be used for their Green-Schools Travel programme, as well as a range of other prizes awarded for creativity around the challenge through initiatives such as Car Pool Karaoke and Staffroom Challenge.
Green-Schools are looking for all schools big and small, rural and urban, primary, secondary and education centres that will take on the challenge of achieving a measurable increase in sustainable modes of travel, or even an increase of awareness around issues connected to sustainable travel. Schools are asked to promote their initiatives and record their results to form an application to win the Big Travel Challenge.
Allison Phillips is Green-Schools Travel Manager: ‘Every year our Big Travel Challenge calls upon school communities to take on new habits out and break old ones. Our regional Travel Officers will be out visiting schools across Ireland, supporting them in their aim towards being their county’s Travel School of the Year. It will be exciting to see how our schools take on the Challenge.’
Find out more at www.greenschoolsireland.org and check out your local school’s progress on social media by searching #BigTravelChallenge
