As part of a new and exciting European and International Schools competition “THINK SMART, CREATE GREEN”, secondary school students and their teachers are invited to get creative and entrepreneurial in exploring solutions to tackle climate change.

FIVE Irish School teams will go forward to the National Final, and the winner will compete in the International Online Final to be in with a chance to win €1000 for their team.

Why take part?

This contest aims to:

• Develop environmental awareness.
• Cultivate critical thinking and creativity.
• Encourage teamwork and social responsibility.

For Teachers this contest opens avenues for participation in Erasmus+ projects. In 2022, Ard Scoil na Mara, Tramore (Co. Waterford) was the European Winner with their project: ‘The Sustainable Way to Go’ of the age category 12-15.

Who is organising the contest?

SETU is part of an Alliance of 9 European Universities called EU CONEXUS. In Ireland, this competition is coordinated by CALMAST which is based in SETU and is the STEM Engagement Centre of the South East.

FIVE Irish Winning Teams will win EU Conexus goodies and ONE team in each category will progress to the European Online Final to compete for cash prizes.

What are the rules for entering?

Eligibility

• Teams of 3-4 pupils, led by one or two teachers.
• 2 age categories with different Task Briefs: pupils aged 12-14 (born 2010 – 2012) / pupils aged 14-17 (born in 2007- 2010).
• Original projects created by participants.
• All entries must be in English.

Task Briefs

• Pupils aged 12-14: Teams will collect recycled items and make any new object. Created objects can be creative, innovative or impactful.
• Pupils aged 14-17: Teams will identify a sustainability issue in their community, and create a strategy to promote their solution.

Key Dates

The project has a number of stages (1-5) takes place across the school year, but there are a number of key dates, which are listed below.

• 29th of November 2024 (Friday) – 4 PM – Deadline for registration.
• 31st of January 2025 (Friday) – 4 PM – Application/projects submission deadline, all stages 1-5 submitted.
• 28th February 2025: Announcement of teams for National Final.
• 3rd of April 2025 – National Final in SETU.
• 10th of April 2025 – Online International Final, where one project from each country in each age category will compete to win the International final.

How to Participate – 5 Steps!

1. Information: Find out more about the competition on the EU CONEXUS website and have a look at the full rules and regulations.
2. Registration: Complete registration via Microsoft Forms before 29 November 2024.
3. Authorisation Forms: Legal guardians must sign consent forms
4. Complete a Quiz: All registered teams must watch this video https://youtu.be/l-N2kCQK-Ug and complete a 3 minute quiz: https://forms.office.com/e/1p6V9GMtuG
5. Project Submission: Submit projects by deadline January 31st 2025.

For any query about the competition, please contact contact EU-CONEXUS University to Schools representative karolyn.mcdonnell@setu.ie.