Kilkenny Youthreach awarded at B!G Idea National Showcase

Kilkenny Youthreach took home an award at this year's B!G Idea creative thinking skills competition.

The Kilkenny winners were one of six teams of innovative students from across the country who were celebrated at The B!G Idea Showcase event, hosted by Brendan Courtney in Mastercard HQ, Leopardstown on Friday afternoon last. TY students from St. Leo’s College Carlow; Castletroy College Limerick; Mercy Secondary School Ballymahon, Longford and St Brendan's Community School, Birr, Co. Offaly were also announced as winners of Ireland’s national creative thinking skills programme for the inspired solutions to global problems they developed while learning creative thinking skills.

‘Team Motherboard’ from Kilkenny Youth Reach won the AI for Humanity category with their transformative app designed to empower young people to manage their finances wisely. Leveraging advanced AI to analyse individual spending patterns, the app delivers tailored recommendations for savings by pinpointing the most economical local sources for frequently purchased items. Users can upload their shopping lists, and the app efficiently locates the cheapest options at nearby stores, seamlessly combining technology with practical financial education.

John Rawl, Director Of Sales, Nostra, who sponsored the award, said, “The AI for Humanity category award this year is presented to a groundbreaking project that features transformative technology designed to empower young people to manage their finances effectively. This tool not only facilitates immediate financial savings but also instils long-term budgeting skills, making it an idea that can have both a short- and long-term impact on its users. Congratulations to Team Motherboard and their wonderful teacher Deirdre Cotterell, who were supported by fantastic mentors including Richie Hartnett from MTU and Oleksandra Poshtarenko from EPAM.”

Kim Mackenzie-Doyle, founder & CEO, The B!G Idea said, “Creative thinking is the top skill required by 2025, as identified by the World Economic Forum, LinkedIn and Forbes. Through The B!G Idea edtech platform we give young people the skills they need to access their own creativity and to nurture their own problem solving capabilities. And just look at what they are capable of! Our 2024 B!G Idea winners have demonstrated the inspiring ingenuity of the next generation and what can be achieved when we share skills and experience across academia and industry. Huge congratulations to all our winners as well as to their teachers for trusting in The B!G Idea and to our very special partners and mentors who are passionate about supporting the younger generation’s future.”

Team ‘Gem Solutions’ from St Brendan's Community School, Birr, were announced as the overall winners of this year's B!G Idea creative thinking skills competition. They designed a Healthy Gems app explicitly for students living away from home, offering affordable and nutritious meal plans alongside subsidised food packages delivered directly to the user’s college campus.

Other winners included ‘The Change Agents’, from Castletroy College, Limerick were announced as winners of the Cost-of-Living category.  ‘Team Miraculous’ from Mercy Secondary School, Ballymahon, Co. Longford won this year's Diversity and Inclusion category. Team Sunny Sonics and Team Mind Matters both from St Leo’s College in Carlow who won the Climate Change and Mental Health categories respectively.

Teachers who showed outstanding support to their students participating in The B!G Idea programme and competition were recognised as Creativity Champions at the showcase. Teacher Siobhán Quinn from St Joseph's Grammar School, Donaghmore, Co. Tyrone; Transition Year Teacher Martina Murphy from Castletroy College in Limerick; Leaving Cert Applied teacher Kevin Byrne from Scoil Bernadette, Montenotte, Co. Cork and Youth Reach teachers Paula Delaney and Pauline Murphy from Tullamore Community Training Centre were all celebrated during the event.

A unique initiative, The B!G Idea complements Ireland’s education system by offering diverse and creative learning experiences that engage every student’s unique way of thinking. Through inquiry-based learning and real-world collaborative projects, guided by mentors from various business and industry sectors, The B!G Idea bridges the gap between education, industry, and society, equipping students with skills they need to reach their full potential and thrive in life and work.

Thanks to support from the Department of Education and Creative Ireland as well as key industry partners - Mercury Engineering, Autodesk, Linesight, RIAI, Mastercard, Nostra, UCC, PA Consulting and MTU - the programme is completely free for schools and students. Teachers can register their class or group of students online at https://teachers.thebigidea.ie/ until June 15 for the programme beginning in September 2024.