The Outdoor Classroom information session held in November was organised in conjunction with the Galway Education Centre as part of the Galway Science and Technology Festival.

The response from teachers to the event was very positive with presentations from champions Fionnghuala Geragthy of Scoil Chaitríona Senior, Brendan Smith (NUI Galway) and Carmel Burns, director of the Galway Education Centre.

Below are the points outlined, discussed and agreed upon:

1.Outdoor Classroom Kits

Through funding received from the Lifes2Good Foundation for the Galway National Park City (GNPC) initiative, multiple Outdoor Classroom kits will be purchased that will be available free of charge on a loan basis to schools for use in nature (scientific, art etc) studies in Galway’s parks, seashores, waterways, woods and other areas of high biodiversity.

The purpose of these kits is to help in the process of creating an environmentally aware and environmentally active school-going population in Galway city.

The kits could comprise:

• Children’s Raingear
• Binoculars
• Trail cameras (to record wildlife activity)
• Magnifying glasses
• Nets
• Insect Traps
• Spades
• Bulb planters
• Litter Picks
• Mats (for sitting on)
• Portable Marque tents (limited number only)
• Art sets

2.Outdoor Classroom Content Developers’ Group

Content for a set of Outdoor Classroom worksheets will be put together by a team of teachers involving champions Carmel Burns and Fionnghuala Geraghty.

 3. Glór na Oganach (Voice of Children) – February 1^st

3. The gathering of 13 city primary schools in June under the title of Glór na Oganach (The Voice of Youth) was along with its accompanying survey the first time that young people from multiple schools came together to give their opinions on how the natural environment could be better integrated into the fabric of Galway city.

The results of the survey are available on the Galway National Park City’s website.

A second Glór na Oganach, with representatives (individuals, Green committee and/or multiple classes) from all schools, will take place in February, a month that represents the beginning of Spring in the Celtic calendar with the theme of “Make Galway Greener & Better – What can I do, what can my school do, and what can our city do.”

The Secondary Schools’ Students’ & Youth Forum information session held in November was coordinated by Tom Flanagan of the Galway Community College assisted by the Galway National Park City(GNPC) initiative and the Galway Education Centre as part of the Galway Science and Technology Festival.

All bar one (technical connection issue) city secondary school attended this successful inaugural event. A big depth of appreciation is owed to Tom Flanagan and the students of Galway Community College for outlining the results of their survey on teenagers’ views of nature in the city, to Jakub Kostanski of Saute Youth/Youth Work Ireland Galway for telling the young people present of his personal experiences of participating at COP26 in Glasgow, to the student representatives from the secondary schools attending who provided an overview of eco-projects at their educational institutions, and of course to special guest (& GNPC Champion) Duncan Stewart of RTE’s Eco Eye programme for his informative views on Climate Change and for his advice to young people on the issues that it raises.  Brendan Smith acted as facilitator to the event.

Below are the points outlined, discussed and agreed upon:

1.Survey: Creating Our Future and Reimagining Our City

The survey was carried out by students of Galway Community College (GCC) and had been circulated to secondary schools across Galway City in advance of the meeting. It had obtained over 400 responses and was based around finding out about teenagers’ views of Nature’s place within the city’s physical infrastructure, in the lives of its population and on what they hope for the future.

This survey formed part of the remit of GCC students involvement in the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme which focuses on social inclusion, the green and digital transitions, and promoting young people’s participation in democratic life. As part of a collaboration with students from cities in Spain and Croatia, the project endeavours to document and tackle biodiversity loss in urban environments. Participants share ideas and corrective actions that they are undertaking on projects such as reducing habitat loss, rewilding, planting, and promoting educational initiatives as ways to support biodiversity in urban areas. 

2. Second Level Students’ Forum 2 – Fridays for a Reimagined Galway, February/March

It was agreed that a second students’ forum with representatives from all of the city’s (& possibly some county) secondary schools will take place on a Friday in February/March around the theme of “Make Galway Greener & Better – What can I do, what can my school do, and what can our city do.”

3. School Eco-Presentation Videos

In the lead-up to Fridays for a Reimagined Galway in February/March, schools will be asked to submit a short video on the environmental (organic gardening, tree planting) and/or sustainability (e.g. rainwater harvesting, solar panels) projects that they are implementing or participating in. These films will be included on the website of the GNPC that can also be accessed via a link from the website of the Galway Education Centre.

4. Video Challenge – My Favourite Place in Galway

As part of an eco-challenge sponsored by the Ryan Institute NUI Galway with €540 in prizes, schools (individuals, groups, classes) are welcomed to submit films of 15-second duration on their favourite location in Galway. Thanks to Charles Spillane for securing this funding.

5. Directory of Experts (NUIG, GMIT)

It is hoped that a directory will be compiled over the next two months of scientific and technology experts from GMIT and NUI Galway who will be able to provide advice to schools on environmental and sustainability projects. GNPC Champion Louise Allcock assisted by Caitriona Carlin are coordinating the university involvement whilst Katie O’Dwyer and Mark Kelly will be involved in the GMIT aspect.

6. Volunteerism on City-based Environmental Projects

Galway National Park City initiative is hoping to work with its extensive array of corporate, third level and community partners (known as champions) to provide in 2022 and beyond an array of opportunities for second level students to secure worthwhile volunteering placements in the areas of conservation and sustainability.

7. EcoEd4All – Environmental Course for TY students
   Duncan Stewart spoke at the second level students meeting in November about EcoEd4All, a free set of environmental and sustainability educational courses for Transition Year students based on themes that include Climate Change – the Science, Climate Change –Transport, Biodiversity Loss, Water Pollution and the Circular Economy. This initiative has a strong NUI Galway with Gordon Bromley, Veronica McCawley and Brendan Smith involved. Check out www.ecoed4all.com
   An exciting new addition to this programme is Eco Advocate, a series of outdoor activities based on the EcoEd4All themes. It is coordinated by champion Jen Cunningham who has been for many years a leader in promoting the use of sustainable practices in outdoor settings to demonstrate their positive impact upon biodiversity and the natural environment.

The benefits of a partnership and inclusive approach towards developing a future Galway city that is sustainable and integrates nature into its infrastructure was shown in late June when children from 13 city primary schools took part in Glór na Óganach (‘The Voice of Youth’) organised by the Galway National Park City (GNPC) initiative supported by the Galway Education Centre and its director Carmel Burns. It was an online event chaired wonderfully by Fionnghuala Geraghty, a teacher of Scoil Chaitríona Senior, where pre-teen students gave their opinions by way of talks, pre-event surveys and classroom discussions about what they want in a post-COVID Galway. This event was unprecedented and amply shows the important need and role of a multi-sectoral movement such as the Galway National Park City initiative.

We often talk about what children want but very seldom give them the opportunity to voice their own opinions on how they wish society to develop.

But their answers and comments yesterday were breathtakingly fresh, honest and full of commonsense. They displayed an awareness of the benefits of looking after nature in the city and having increased areas for biodiversity, in planting more trees and having more wildlife; in the need for information noticeboards in areas of nature; in the need to lessen screen time and to play outdoors in clean, safe green spaces and in playgrounds with flowers, more hands-on play equipment and having both walls and trees that they could climb; in the attractions of having lots of classes outside; in having safe walking and cycling routes to school and in/around the school, in banning once-off plastics and in increasing the possibilities of enjoying the local waterways.

Interestingly the overwhelming majority of these boys and girls felt that it was the woods, the seashore and the wildlife that they most liked about Galway city.

They were also fully aware of the dangers of biodiversity loss and of climate change.

So it was heartening to know that our youngest generation have strong feelings of what is most beautiful about our city, are expressing deep concerns about what is wrong with it and know what needs to be done to make it better for both people and wildlife.

So the challenge is for the adults to listen and to learn from the children in order to ensure that we hand them over a ‘liveable’ planet.

Glór na Óganach was the first gathering of pre-teens on the subject of a future city. But not the last. There was meeting in mid-November with primary school teachers on the subject of the Outdoor Classroom facilitated by Carmel Burns director of the Galway Education Centre as part of the Galway Science and Technology Festival where it was agreed a second such event will take place in the Spring.

We all learned from the experience of the June event, in how to improve on it and to look at the possibility of hosting a children’s forum tríd Gaelige and a forum for infants and 1st, 2nd classes.

Finally a big ‘Bualadh Bos’ to Fionnghuala Geraghty for her awesome work in preparing the teacher/student surveys and in chairing the event, and of course to the teachers from the 13 schools who made it all possible in the final week of the school year when they are exceptionally busy. Go raibh míle maith agaibh!

What do Children want in a future Galway city? Let’s find out!

As well-meaning adults we often talk about the needs of young people, about how we have to ensure that we build a better future for the next generation to inherit. In these unsettling times of the climate crisis, this has never been more openly stated nor more important.

But in designing a more sustainable tomorrow, do we actually give opportunities for listening to the thoughts and ideas of the children and young people? Surely they should have a right to have a say in creating their own future and help ensure a better, kinder, happier, more inclusive and eco-friendly city? Will the sincerity of young voices untainted by vested interests be key to opening our eyes on what a new Galway should look like? After all the Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg from 2018 gave voice to a global movement of young people angry at a planet that had and is being abused by adults, which energised and embarrassed the general public to wake up to the urgent need for immediate action to save the planet, forcing many  policy makers and policical leaders to pay more than lip service to ensuring positive change.

On Tuesday next (June 22), children from over a dozen primary schools will come together in an online forum to put forward their opinions about what is important to them in a new Galway city.  Known as Glór na Óganach it is the brainchild of the inspirational Fionnghuala Geragthy, a teacher in Scoil Chaitríona Renmore, supported by the Galway Education Centre and teachers from participating schools as part of the multi-sectoral Galway National Park City initiative whose mission is to have a greener, bluer, healthier, safer, beautiful, sustainable, equitable, harmonious and wilder urban environment.

At a time when the Galway City Development Plan, which will provide a strategy for the city until 2029, is being debated by councillors and officials at City Hall, it is important that the voices of the children are heard. We so need to listen and to learn from the very people that will grow up, work and have families themselves in a city that this Plan will be the blueprint for until the end of the decade.

The June Forum will not be an end in itself. Rather it will be the beginning of a process of engaging with the younger generation. For a follow up Glór na Oganach will be held in November as part of the Galway Science and Technology Festival when a separate Youth (teenagers) Forum will also take place. A third in the series for both age groups will be organised for Spring 2022. Youth, arts and educational resource organisations as Galway Atlantiaquaria, Living Gardens, 126 Gallery, Galway Science & Technology Festival, Youth Work Galway Ireland, EcoEd4All, Explorers’ Education Programme, Coderdojo, and the Galway Children and Young People’s Services Committee, are coming together as champions of the Galway National Park City to help make this happen.

Glór na Óganach is unique, is pioneering, will be eclectic and probably a bit chaotic as it will be a learning experience for all involved. But it will be exciting and is already paying dividends. Schools are wonderful centres for implementing strategies to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and improve wellbeing as they build organic food gardens, bee-friendly havens and outdoor classrooms; promote recycling, renewable energies and rainwater harvesting. Whilst many of us talk they act. After all, it was a clarion call from teachers, parents and associated community campaigning groups that led to the transformation in the last few months of the streetscapes outside many schools by the municipal authorities in response to making a post-COVID city more cycle-friendly, more walking-friendly, more child-friendly (something that has been part of city strategy since 2002 but has not yet materialised). At a meeting of schools this week under the National Park City auspices, participants were putting forward wonderful common-sense practical proposals such as compiling a directory of local experts from business, state agencies, community and third level colleges to help schools with their environmental science and technology projects; and on the need for toilets and other vital infrastructure in all the main public parks and areas of natural heritage.

So let’s give children, youth and teachers seats at the top table and harness their progressive thinking.

EcoEd4All is a group of subject matter experts including four champions of the Galway National Park City, namely Duncan Stewart (Eco Eye), John O’Sullivan, Brendan Smith and Amanda Wilkinson, who provide their expertise to develop environmental content for secondary schools around Ireland.

The core vision of the group is to make environmental education a core part of second level curriculum. Teachers are provided with training and resources (presentations, videos, quiz, project guides) in areas such as Climate Change, Biodiversity, Pollution, Circular Economy. The approach is to use emotive, memorable images to connect with the students and to explore ways in which we can all address environmental issues in a meaningful way.   Check out www.ecoed4all.com