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Drumnacurra NS pupils and staff celebrate their win.
PUPILS from a North Kerry school won a national award for their Junior Entrepreneur Programme class business.
3rd-6th Class Drumnacurra National School, Causeway, received the Top Teams Award for their classroom business, The Little Shop of Stitches. A Kilcummin National School pupil won the Bright Spark Award.
Around 9,000 pupils from almost 300 schools island-wide are taking part in the 12th year of the Junior Entrepreneur Programme (JEP).
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The achievement of Drumnacurra pupils is all the more impressive considering they were one of the smallest class groups on the programme this year. There are just nine pupils, ranging from 3rd class to 6th in the classroom.
The class was guided by their teacher, Regina O’Connor, through every step of the process.
They also teamed up with local craft skills teacher and dressmaker, Trish Riordan, who taught the children machine and hand sewing skills and even loaned them sewing machines to complete their eye-catching products.
Joanne Canty, Emma Diggin and Aubree Canty, 3rd-6th class pupils from Drumnacurra National School, Causeway, winners of the 2022 Junior Entrepreneur Programme Top Teams award.
The Little Shop of Stitches produced a range of eye-catching cards and gifts, including scented heart-shaped pouches, Valentine’s cards, Mother’s Day cards and key rings, all hand-made by the children, using only recycled materials.
The class sold their creations at a School Showcase Day and approached three local outlets – Hanly’s, The Forge Café and Flynn’s Shop, which all stocked the products. The pupils made a profit of almost 400 euros and very generously donated 25% of their to the Causeway Community Playground project.
Sadbh O’ Halloran, Kilcummin National School with Brilliant Beads, the JEP business developed by the 5th and 6th class.
Twelve-year-old Sadbh O’Halloran, a pupil in Kilcummin National School, received the Bright Spark Award for her Pebble Art business idea.
Sadbh creates beautiful, original pieces of art using pebbles and other natural materials. She gives her unique pieces as gifts to family and friends for special occasions. The Bright Spark award recognises the creativity of individual pupils who pitch novel ideas at the idea generation stage of JEP.
Among the other Kerry schools that participated in the Junior Entrepreneur Programme in 2022 were: Kilgobnet National School, Beaufort; Ardfert Central National School; Kilgarvan Central National School; Murhur National School, Moyvane; Firies Mixed National School; Scoil Muire Gan Smál, Castleisland; Scoil Naomh Charthaigh, Castleisland; St. Oliver’s National School, Ballylongford; Scoil Réalta na Maidine, Listowel; Fybough National School, Castlemaine; Faha National School; Scoil Mhuire, Killorglin; Scartaglin National School, and Scoil Chorp Chríost, Moyvane.
