Tallaght school St Mark’s Junior National School was named one of Ireland’s Travel Schools of the Year (Walking Mode) at a ceremony in Dublin on recently. An Taisce Green-Schools presented the school with their award at the event honouring the winners of this year’s Green-Schools BIG Travel Challenge 2023 in Haughton House of Dublin Zoo. Eleven other schools were also awarded on the day for their efforts promoting sustainable and active travel modes to school.
During February schools undertook the Big Travel Challenge, which asked them to concentrate on one sustainable transport mode for two weeks to see if they could achieve real, lasting change in the travel behaviour of their staff and students. The Challenge is an initiative of the Green-Schools Travel theme, which is supported by the NTA and the Department of Transport.
St Mark’s, a school of just under 500 pupils, excelled and embraced the challenge. They concentrated on encouraging students to walk to school, and saw the number of students opting to travel to school on foot nearly double over the two week period. Students from the school’s committee held three big events to keep up momentum throughout the challenge, including a Sock Parade, Be Green-Be Seen walk and Superhero day of walking.
Congratulating St Mark’s and the other awarded schools on their achievements, Green-Schools Travel Manager Ciara Norton said: “My team and I have been so inspired by the many ways schools approached the Big Travel Challenge this year. The winning schools created incredible change in a short period of time, showing the desire among young people to travel to school independently, actively and in a mode that is mindful of our climate and local environment. Well done to all!”
Pictured: Ireland’s Walking School of the Year 2023 St. Marks Junior School, Tallaght. L-R Harper Kavanagh (8) Scott McMahon (8) Enilka Zgraja (9) and Eugenie Kabeya (7) pictured at the awards ceremony. Pic credit: 1IMAGE/Bryan Brophy
