Teen entrepreneurs from South Dublin on countdown to Student Enterprise National Final on 2 May 2018

19/04/2018

Archived item. This item is published here for historical reasons. The information below may be out of date.

23,600 students from 480 Irish secondary schools take part in Student Enterprise Programme through the Local Enterprise Offices every year, bringing the world of business into the classroom.

Some of the county’s most enterprising teenagers are ‘counting down’ to the Student Enterprise Programme National Finals on Wednesday, 2 May 2018 in Croke Park.

Starting every September, students across three age categories (Junior, Intermediate and Senior) research, set up, and run their own businesses with the help of their teachers and supports from Local Enterprise Office South Dublin. Nationwide, 230 students from 77 different student enterprises have now reached this year’s National Finals, having qualified through school and county finals earlier in the year.

Student entrepreneurs from Coláiste Éanna, Rathfarnham and Coláiste Chillian, Clondalkin will be representing South Dublin on 2 May 2018, including:

• Deadly Dublin Days from Coláiste Éanna in the Junior Category

• CC in D’hood from Coláiste Chillian, in the Intermediate Category

• Relumination from Coláiste Éanna in the Senior Category

Working under the guidance of Ceithrean Murray from Coláiste Éanna the Junior Category finalist is: Colm Ward. The student designed a guide for free activities for families around Dublin and did his own research by doing everything first hand.

In the Intermediate Category, the students competing in Croke Park under the guidance of Natasha Preston from Coláiste Chillian, are Shanice Stafford, Naomi Lanney, Imelda Kinch and Áine Mitchell. These students identified the need for hoodies for sports and within the school with the permission of the Principal as normally jackets were not permitted.

And finally, Rory Duggan and Fionn McBride are competing in the Senior Category, under the guidance of Ceithrean Murray from Coláiste Éanna. These students made hand crafted boxes with recycled bottles decorated with lights to create a decorative light feature.

Run by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices in every local authority area, the Student Enterprise Programme is the biggest enterprise education initiative of its kind in the country, with 23,600 students taking part every year from 480 second-level schools. Funding for the programme is provided by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland, and since it started in 2003, over 150,000 students have now taken part.

Colm Ward, Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office South Dublin said: “The National Final in Croke Park is the biggest celebration of secondary school entrepreneurs in the country every year and we want to wish the students from South Dublin the very best of luck in judging on 2 May 2018.Thanks to the support of teachers from over 480 schools, including 2 local schools here in South Dublin, the Student Enterprise Programme links in with the school curriculum around enterprise in the classroom and really helps students gain skills and practical knowledge of running a real-life business. The programme also encourages more students to consider entrepreneurship as a future career choice, with Local Enterprise Office South Dublin on hand to help.”

The special guest at this year’s National Final is the Minister for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen T.D.

Last year’s Senior Category nationally was won by ‘ROC Protection’ from Clonkeen College in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, with a protective base layer for hurling and camogie players.

The 2017 Junior Category winner was Blathnaid Murphy of ‘Daisy’s Pawesome Bowties’ from Our Lady’s Secondary School in Louth, and the Intermediate Category winner was Cillian Scott of ‘Scott Engine Tables’ from Coláiste Chill Mhantáin in Wicklow.

Further information about the Student Enterprise Programme is available from www.studententerprise.ie, with free resources available for teachers and schools.

ENDS

Notes to Editor

For further details, pictures and for interviews with students or organisers, please contact your Local Enterprise Office.                                                                                                                                                

Event Information: Student Enterprise Programme                                                                   (National Finals on 2 May 2018, Croke Park )                                                                                                             Co-ordinated by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities across the country, the Student Enterprise Programme is now in its 16th year. The official website address for the programme is www.studententerprise.ie.                                                                                                    

As part of its remit, the Local Enterprise Offices aim to foster an enterprise culture among students in Ireland. Students qualify for the National Final via their School or County Final, organised by their Local Enterprise Office.Funding for the programme is provided by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland.                                                                                                                                                              

Images

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  Award Intermediate - 1st Place - CC Hoodies - Colaiste Chilliain
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  Award Junior - 1st Place - Deadly Dublin Days - Colaiste Eanna
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  Award Senior - 1st Place - Relumination - Colaiste Eanna