Mayo students enjoy success in Young Reporters for the Environment competition
The junior and senior category winners of the National Young Reporters for the Environment Competition 2025-2026 were announced at an exciting award ceremony in Portlaoise. Green-Schools students nationwide participated, and the standard of entries was very high. Young Reporters for the Environment International have now selected the national winners to go forward for the global competition, which includes Senior Video Overall Winner, Grace Cunnane, St Mary’s School Ballina, for her video on ‘Animal Farming.’ Graces’s video can be viewed here.
Mayo student, Polina Lisnivska, Coláiste Muire, Tuar Mhic Éadaigh, claimed second place in the video competition for her video on ‘The Spirit of Water.’ Polina’s video can be viewed here.
This year’s winners showcased environmental journalism under categories that included: photography, videography, article writing and podcasting.
The Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) programme, coordinated by An Taisce — the National Trust for Ireland, provides a platform for students to explore environmental issues through journalism. The programme provides resources, webinars and workshops to support students to learn more about writing, videography, photography, editing and how to spot ‘fake news’.
Participants have an opportunity to get involved in research, learn critical-thinking skills, and communicate environmental challenges from what they see around them in their areas. Young Reporters for the Environment fosters environmental literacy and equips young people with the skills to advocate for meaningful change. The programme's dynamic structure includes competitions, training, and international collaboration, making it a cornerstone of An Taisce’s educational initiatives under the hugely successful Green-Schools Ireland umbrella.
YRE project manager, Claire McDonald said:
“The YRE competition empowers young people to take an informed stand on local environmental issues and gives them a platform to articulate these via written article, photography, video and podcasting. The standard of entries was exceptionally high this year and our judges were overwhelmed with the positive actions and solutions put forward by the students”