Tipperary’s brightest young global citizens announced for Our World Awards 2026 finals
Students from St John the Baptist Girls NS in Cashel are on their way to the Our World Awards 2026 on Thursday May 7
Finalists from St. John the Baptist Girls NS have been revealed for the Our World Awards 2026, with the national finals taking place at O’Reilly Hall University College Dublin on Thursday, May 7. The Irish Aid-led programme invites primary school pupils to respond to global development challenges through creative projects aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Schools across Ireland, including Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Limerick, Louth, Meath, Tipperary and Wicklow, will receive recognition at the 2026 Awards, celebrating their work that explores global issues such as poverty and climate change.
Inspired by local action on Sustainable Development Goals, students from the Tipperary school brought different perspectives to global challenges through creative, hands-on projects.
At St. John the Baptist Girls NS, 6th class pupils designed an imaginary sustainable town, bringing the Sustainable Development Goals to life through creative, practical planning. They incorporated features such as renewable energy and aquaponics, showing a strong understanding of sustainability in action.
As conversations around empathy in education continue to grow in Ireland, with voices such as Cillian Murphy highlighting the importance of raising emotionally aware and compassionate young people, the Our World Awards are playing a key role in bringing this to life in the classroom. By encouraging pupils to explore global challenges through creative projects, the programme helps pupils not only understand these issues but also connect with them on a human level.
Awards will be presented by Minister of State for International Development & Diaspora, Neale Richmond TD, who says:
“It's inspiring to see young people across Ireland engaging so thoughtfully with the world around them. The Our World Awards highlight not just creativity, but a real awareness of the challenges facing our world — from climate change to poverty and gender inequality to healthcare. These pupils are showing that age is no barrier to making a positive impact, and that the next generation is ready to play its part in building a more sustainable and fair future.”
*An earlier version of this article misidentified the school as being in Tipperary Town