Primary Science for Sustainability in DCU

On Tuesday 1st May, children from eight primary schools from across the Dublin area came to the Institute of Education, DCU to share their experiences of participating in a range of different classroom and whole-school sustainability projects.

Focused on themes such as biodiversity, water treatment and recycling, the projects were completed with guidance from their classroom teachers who had themselves been involved in the Global Consortium for Sustainability Outcomes professional development programme that had take place in DCU over the past year.

Organised by Dr. Cliona Murphy and Dr. Greg Smith of the School of STEM Education, Innovation & Global Studies and Dr. Ben Mallon from the Centre for Human Rights and Citizenship Education, the programme has provided Irish primary teachers with the opportunity to explore the integration of Education for Sustainable Development into science lessons and whole school approaches. The sixteen teachers and student representatives from each of the eight schools were presented with awards from Erin Redman of GCSO and Deputy Dean of the DCU Institute of Education, Pádraig Ó Duibhir. Congratulations to the teachers and students from St. Vincent de Paul Girls School, Mother of Divine Grace Primary School, Good Shepherd National School, St. Peter's Primary School, North Dublin National School Project, Bayside Senior National School, Scoil an Chroí Ró Naofa Íosa and St. Pius X Boys National School.