Westmeath County Childcare Committee would like to invite all preschools to enter this year’s Community Awards 2025 by submitting an application in the following category;
Schools Environmental Competition
The aim of the Competition is to showcase environmental projects, undertaken by local Westmeath schools. This competition is open to all schools [pre-school, National and Secondary] within the County. The project can be undertaken by a group within a class, a class, a group of classes or the whole school.
The projects are based on environmental positive actions/message within a school. The 2025 project is for each applicant school to make, plant and grow 4 flowering window boxes. The magnitude of the window boxes is not overly important but rather weighted towards the sustainability of the box and/or if the box can be built upon in future years. However, as an environmental project, upcycling and recycled materials must be used. Above all, it should be educational, artistic, fun and where possible innovative. So, make a statement and go large and be original as often as you can.
Judging:
Each submission will be adjudicated on the submitted entry and received photographs. If an inspection is required such participating School(s) will be notified of that inspection date in advance.
Judging will be marked on
- Innovation (overall appearance and originality)
- Presentation (art and plant growth)
- Sustainability (upcycling, recycled materials used)
Sub-Categories
There is a separate Secondary School, National School, and Pre-school category and there will also be an overall winner of the competition.
Conditions & Guidelines of the Competition:
- The school must produce four flowering window boxes and it must be created from 100% recycled and/or upcycled materials.
- The materials must not be bought new but must be sourced from items that were being dumped, no longer in use or donated. All permissions for use and/or acquiring and/or upcycling (in part or otherwise) of materials is a matter for that school.
- There is no size limit on the item created and it is intended that the window boxes will be displayed at the Cathaoirleach awards event.
- The school can submit mutable, but indolently created entries.
- 5 photographs of the construction phases of the project together with 3 photographs of the completed window-boxes must be submitted with your application (these may be used in promotional material for the Cathaoirleach Awards).
- No Faces of The Children, all schools must have written consent from parents for photos to be used for promotional activities for the Cathaoirleach Awards.
- Only applications from Secondary School, National School, and Pre-school within County Westmeath will be accepted.
Schools Environmental Competition
- Applications will not be accepted after the closing date.
- Competing entries will be invited to the Westmeath Cathaoirleach Awards and the winner(s) announced at that event.
- The Westmeath Cathaoirleach Awards and the related competitions are run in good faith by Westmeath County Council.
Prize’s
- Overall Winner Trophy and €750
- Secondary School 1st Prize – Trophy and €500
2nd Prize – Trophy and €250
- National School 1st Prize – Trophy and €500
2nd Prize – Trophy and €250
- Preschools 1st Prize – Trophy and €500
2nd Prize- Trophy and €250
Application
Online Applications must be completed by 4pm Friday 7th March 2025.
Download Guidelines and application form below
Supporting documentation (including photos etc) and any further queries can be submitted by email to: communitygrants@westmeathcoco.ie or telephone 044 9332051.
Closing date for applications is Friday 7th March 2025
