Mayo students to the fore in national awards ceremony 

A group of Mayo Transition Year students were toasting national honours today, as Ballyhaunis Community School landed an award at the annual ‘Ideas Made Real’ showcase and awards ceremony.

The event, hosted by tech research group Irish Manufacturing Research in Mullingar, saw over 360 Transition Year students from around the country come together to present their projects.

READ MORE: First girl baptised on top of famous Mayo mountain

At the event, students were able to celebrate their creativity and ability to maneuver real-world issues through innovation and applications. Ideas and issues which were tackled included sustainability and accessibility.

In the end, Ballyhaunis Community School landed the ‘Best Overall Project’, achieving the highest score from the judges across all judging criteria.

The group from Mayo developed a way to tackle the issue of road safety on rural roads, which included sensor-based warning lights to alert drivers when another vehicle is approaching a bend at high speed.

The programme co-ordinator of Ideas Made Real, Luana Raggi, believes that these ideas could have powerful effects in the future.

“What makes this programme special is how it empowers students to move from concept to reality,” Raggi stated.

“They are learning not only to design and build, but also to collaborate, present, and solve problems that matter to their communities. This event is a celebration of their commitment and talent.”

READ MORE: Mayo Pride to fly the flag in Westport on June bank holiday weekend

Liz Carroll, Learning and Development Director at IMR, echoed those sentiments.

"As in the real world, it is not only technical skills that are required,” said Carroll.

“The teams need idea generators, problem solvers, marketeers, communicators; there is a role for everyone. It helps show that the world of manufacturing is a credible career option for many.”