Two Kildare schools named as finalists in national Our World Awards

Pupils and teachers from Scoil Bhríde, Clane and St. Raphael’s Special School, Kildare have been named finalists in the 2025 Our World Awards.  The schools will join 13 other national finalists from across Ireland at a ceremony to be held at Dublin Castle on Friday, May 30.

Pupils and teachers from Scoil Bhríde, Clane and St. Raphael’s Special School, Kildare are two of just 15 schools in Ireland to be in the running for one of nine prestigious Our World Awards comprising the Global Goals, Irish Aid Programme, Rising Star, Creative Star, STEM, School and Community Impact, Global Citizenship Education, an Iontráil Ghaeilge is Fearr and Outstanding School Engagement Awards, as well as the coveted School of the Year Award. 

The Pupils from Scoil Bhríde, Clane have earned national recognition for their powerful and thought-provoking entry to this year’s Our World Awards, highlighting the importance of access to quality education for girls around the world.

As part of their project, the class created a deeply moving video presentation that reflected their learning and reflections on global education inequality. What set their work apart was the genuine effort to connect directly with people in other countries. The pupils reached out internationally to gather first-hand insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by girls seeking education in different parts of the world.

The result was a heartfelt and informative film, combining facts and creative storytelling. Their project delivered powerful messages about the impact of education, while also showing the pupils' strong sense of empathy, curiosity, and commitment to global justice.

The work, described by judges as a shining example of meaningful learning in action, demonstrated how young people can engage deeply with complex issues and communicate them with clarity and compassion.

St. Raphael’s Special School in Kildare have been shortlisted for their beautiful and meaningful artwork.  Each student contributed an individual piece based on their learning journey, creating a collection that judges described as evocative and inspiring. The artwork reflects a wide range of global themes and personal insights, demonstrating the pupils’ deep engagement with global citizenship education.

Congratulating both schools on making it to the national final, Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Neale Richmond TD said: “I am really looking forward to meeting the pupils from Scoil Bhríde and St. Raphael’s Special School and their teachers at the national final on May 30th.  I know that there is a great sense of excitement around the event in Dublin Castle.

“I am also looking forward to personally thanking our primary school teachers for their continued commitment, not just to participating in the Our World Awards, but also for nurturing an ethos of global citizenship amongst our young people. It is important that as global citizens we all play an individual and collective part in making the world a better place.

“Each of the projects submitted by the 15 finalists demonstrate an impressive level of insight and understanding of what are complex global issues that have a devastating impact on the most vulnerable in our world.” 

Now in their 20th year, the Our World Awards are the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s flagship programme with primary schools which, over its lifetime, has seen thousands of young people become inspired to engage with global issues and take action for a fairer, more sustainable world.

The 2025 Our World Awards National Final is taking place at the Printworks, Dublin Castle on Friday, May 30.

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