The ‘Young Reducers’ group in Davis College, winners of the top prize at the UNESCO Environmental Awards, pictured with ‘Young Offenders’ star and past pupil Demi Isaac Oviawe (in yellow) who starred in the school’s promotion video.
‘The Young Reducers’, which comprised 25 enthusiastic students from Davis College, won the Senior Waste Category section in the 2020 Eco-Unesco Young Environmentalists Awards. They were also announced as the overall senior winners of this prestigious competition against almost 500 entrants. The ceremony took place live online on Thursday last, 21st May. The event was presented by 2Fm DJ Tara Stewart with special guest speaker Mary Robinson, who praised participants for their leadership and ability to make a difference raising climate awareness issues.
The group was formed last October and is mentored by their teachers Ms. Foley and Ms. Hurley. ‘The Young Reducers’ wanted to make a difference to both their school and local community by reducing waste and providing education on plastic pollution and ways to reduce it. Fun activities such as quizzes and raffles took place during Climate Action Week. The group also worked with the local community by litter picking with Mallow Tidy Towns during Gaeilge 24 and creating a poster competition for local primary schools.
School management and teachers supported their students, by introducing new legislation regarding plastic and recycling into school diaries and coordinating on events such as a plastic free bake sale and a plastic free shampoo bar challenge for our teachers.
Davis College Model United Nations added strength to our campaign by showing our video to over 600 delegates from Ireland and abroad and by banning plastic cups and bottles at DCMUN January 2020 in City Hall. This action by the students was a huge success and has led to an ongoing trend for DCMUN.
Climate Ambassadors, speakers from SEAI, Eco Unesco came to give talks. Plastic free soap, shampoo and sanitary product workshops took place and our own students visited classes in our school and in local primary schools.
A huge social media campaign was launched. The team set up ‘The DC Young Environmentalist’ Instagram page and our school website had a green school section to their website. Our Young Reducers promotion video starred our past pupil and star of both ‘The Young Offenders’ and ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Demi Oviawe with pupils from our local Gaelscoil ‘Gaelscoil Thomáis Dáibhís’ as special guests. In the video, students called for change and said it was time to make a difference. Demi and our passionate students called out for the contract to be signed to reduce single use plastic in our school. ‘The Young Reducers’ video showed the diversity, passion and communication and language skills in our school. Davis College students won two senior sections, but the team was made up of not just transition years and fifth year students, but also many first and second-year students. This shows a bright future in Davis College.
‘The Young Reducers’ are aware of the importance of links to our local community in order to make a difference. They would like to give special thanks to Demi, everybody in our school and local community, Mallow Tidy Towns, local sponsors: Studio Fit and Gate Cinema Mallow and of course, to Eco Unesco for creating such a wonderful event and giving a voice to students. All staff and management of Davis College would like to congratulate our wonderful students on such a great achievement. We are very proud of their motivation, work ethic and communication skills.
Members of ‘The Young Reducers’ are Alison Murphy, Aleksandra Proszkowiec, Domas Kalesnykas, Nadia Fasuji, Grace Black, Noah Cahill, Eric Delaney, Saoirse Onyemekeihia, Mabel Facos Ogbemudia, Cormac Shanahan, Leahy Dully, Abbie Walsh, Clodagh Corcoran, Anna O’Connell, Jude Scannell, Aoife O’Callaghan, Caoimhe Nic Aodhagain, Thomas O’SSMeara, Stella Shicanai Nyambo, Natalia Madrzejewska, Rajan Madrzejewska, Kieran O’Flynn, Lyrah Dooley, Leah Wallace and Bolywatife Lawal.