Cappabue caps off top year with virtual climate change workshop

CLIMATE conscious students from Cappabue National School – who went viral earlier this year with their climate change rap video One Small Change – were one of just four primary schools from Cork to take part in a recent virtual climate change workshops during Science Week.

The workshops were developed by Junior Achievement Ireland (JAI) in conjunction with the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and were delivered online as part of an exciting blended learning experience.

The Cappabue students joined students from Scoil Barra and Gaelscoil Uí Riordáin in Ballincollig and Beaumont Boys School in Cork.

Through hands-on activities students analysed their carbon footprint and completed an energy audit of the classroom, allowing them to evaluate the human impact of their class. They also held a brainstorming session to look at ways in which they could collectively and individually reduce their impact on climate change.

‘Our students thoroughly enjoyed the EPA environmental workshop and the content showed how the students could have a positive impact on the world around them in a fun and accessible manner,’ said Norma Healy, principal of Cappabue National School in Kilnaknappoge.

‘We are very passionate about climate change here in the school and we are delighted to have our climate change song included in the workshops.

‘The virtual format worked really well and the level of engagement with the topic and our expert volunteer from the EPA was fantastic.’

It has been an eventful 2020 for the school as the students won the ‘Schoolovision’ song contest back in May for their climate change rap One Small Change which went global and even featured on TV in the US.

They were also one of 10 global winners in the 2020 Global Recycling Day #RecyclingHeroes competition.

Not only that, they also recorded a new song and video, We Create Magic after being commissioned by the Creative Ireland Programme for ‘Cruinniú na nÓg’ which was aired on  RTÉ.