Presentation of Awards for Co-operation is Cool Project

Laois Education Centre Thursday 10^th April 2008

322 pupils from 12 primary and post primary schools exhibited 17 projects in the Co-operation is Cool Project and the result of their work was evaluated on Thursday 10^th April in Laois Education Centre. The pupils have been supported by their teachers, the curriculum resource materials prepared by Paddy Bates of Laois Education Centre, parents, community and Glanbia personnel in preparing their projects on Co-operation.

Prize Winners:

Prize	School	Project	Teacher
Overall	Scoil Bhride Ballyboy, Kilcormac, Offaly	Tea for Two	Helen O’ Callaghan & Fionnuala Lee
1^st Primary	St Kieran’s PS Broughall, Offaly	Ní Neart go Chur le Chéile	Esther Lambe & Maura Deegan
1^st Post Primary	Coláiste Naomh Cormac, Kilcormac, Co Offaly	Scholar’s Way	Camille King & Marion Drennan
2^nd Primary	Sacred Heart PS Portlaoise	James Fintan Lalor	Lily Griffin & Ann Marie Ryan
3^rd Primary	Ballyadams NS Ballyadams, Laois	Coal Mining	Kathleen O’ Connor
Conservation	Castlecuffe NS, Clonaslee, Co Laois	Green Schools Project	Bridie Dunne & Maureen Butterfield
Logo	Camross NS	Our Website	Mary McCarthy & Talitha Horan
Website	Clonaslee NS	Our School Website	Casey Byrne
New Entrant	Rosenallis NS	The Cemeteries of Rosenallis- Bringing history alive	Jackie Hyland
Presentation	St Brigid’s NS, Croghan, Offaly	Co-operation is Fuel	Gerry Hickey
Historical Research	Coolderry NS Birr, Co Offaly	Coolderry Through the Years	Una Teehan
Special Merit	Tullamore College Tullamore, Offaly	Aces Ltd.	Renee Gallagher
Special Merit	Tullamore College Tullamore, Offaly	Gemini Ireland	Renee Gallagher
Special Merit	Tullamore College Tullamore, Offaly	Healthy Eating	Renee Gallagher
Special Merit	Tullamore College Tullamore, Offaly	The Co-operative Movement	Renee Gallagher
Special Merit	Castlecuffe NS, Clonaslee, Co Laois	Our Website	Bridie Dunne & Maureen Butterfield
Special Merit	Ballyadams NS Ballyadams, Laois	Jabberwocky	Kathleen O’ Connor

Laois Leader and Glanbia provide the prizes for this competition which include a Data Projector, Laptops, Digital Camcorder, Digital Cameras, Colour Laser Printers and Webcams. Each participating school received a copy of Office and Publisher software and each participating student received a certificate.

The prizes were presented by Michael Bergin, Chairperson of Laois Leader Board, Jim Delaney, Glanbia Committee, and Joan Hanrahan, Primary Schools Inspector.

The project was evaluated by:

Anne Goodwin CEO Laois LEADER

Dominic McEvoy Former National Co-ordinator of NCTE and

Deputy Principal

Bridie Dunne Retired Primary School Principal

Rosemary Day Co-ordinator of Emo Project, Laois

Education Centre

Sean Hearn Initiator of Project

Evelyn Reddin Laois County Enterprise Board

Michael Bergin, Chairperson of Laois Leader Board, welcomed everyone to the fifth year of the project which has been very popular with both primary and post primary schools as a means of developing the knowledge that young people have around co-operation and the history of the co-operative movement and its importance in Ireland. The project also introduces the concept of working together to young people as Laois LEADER, Glanbia and Laois Education Centre are doing so successfully with this project. This project has been a great success and the 17 projects prove this. The skills learned by the students in this programme are never forgotten, even if not used for a number of years. To see young people becoming involved in their own local area and for the benefit of their community is positive and part of the ethos of Laois LEADER.

Michael Bergin continued; “I would like to thank Tony Mahon and the staff of the Laois Education Centre for all their work with this project. I would like to thank the teachers from the participating schools. The service of these teachers to their pupils and the community around the schools in which they teach is vital and the local community structure would be at a loss without them. In particular I would like to thank Mr Paddy Bates who although retired has put a lot of work into ensuring that this competition is a success.

I would like to thank the Board of Glanbia for their continued support both in terms of finance but more importantly in terms of the volunteers who go to the schools to talk to the young people about the co-op movement.

I would like to thank the Board and staff of Laois LEADER for their commitment to this project and for their work on the LEADER programme and their commitment to the county.

I would like to wish all the young people here tonight every success and hope that they retain a pride in their own area.”

Dominic McEvoy, Chairperson of the adjudication panel, announced the winners and commented on the following:

- The excellent overall standard of the projects

- The very high standard of presentation of the projects and the pride, passion and belief the students had in their work.

- The extensive use of IT – digital cameras and camcorders in recording the progress of each project.

- He said he was delighted to be involved with the project for the past five years

Jim Delaney, on behalf of Glanbia committee members, said he was delighted with the outstanding quality of all the work in the exhibition. Glanbia are very pleased and proud to be associated with Laois Education Centre and Laois LEADER in promoting this project in schools. He thanked everyone involved for all their work and complimented teachers and students for their excellent projects on display.

Paddy Bates, Project Co-ordinator, welcomed and thanked teachers, parents, pupils, judges, Glanbia committee members who visited schools and the partners Glanbia and LEADER.