School in Naas, County Kildare, is crowned Ireland’s Walking School of the Year

Piper’s Hill College of Naas was named one of Ireland’s Travel Schools of the Year (Walking Mode) at a ceremony in Dublin on Tuesday last.

An Taisce Green-Schools presented the school with their award at the event honouring the winners of this year’s Green-Schools BIG Travel Challenge 2023 in Haughton House of Dublin Zoo.

Ten other schools were also awarded on the day for their efforts promoting sustainable and active travel modes to school.

Congratulating Piper’s Hill College and the other awarded schools on their achievements, Green-Schools Travel Manager Ciara Norton said: "My team and I have been so inspired by the many ways schools approached the Big Travel Challenge this year.

She added: "The winning schools created incredible change in a short period of time, showing the desire among young people to travel to school independently, actively and in a mode that is mindful of our climate and local environment. Well done to all!"

During February, schools undertook the Big Travel Challenge, which asked them to concentrate on one sustainable transport mode for two weeks to see if they could achieve real, lasting change in the travel behaviour of their staff and students.

The challenge is an initiative of the Green-Schools Travel theme, which is supported by the National Transport Authority and the Department of Transport.

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Piper’s Hill College (made up of around 1,000 students) concentrated on encouraging students to walk to school, and saw a 50 per cent increase in students opting to travel to school on foot.

Students from the school’s committee took to social media to encourage people to change their travel mode and they made and co-ordinated with local businesses to allow use of their car parks to encourage 'park n’ stride.'

Ten other schools were awarded for their part in promoting green travel modes to school as part of the Big Travel Challenge.

These are:

• Piper’s Hill College, Walking School of the Year 2023, Secondary 
• St Mark’s Junior School, Walking School of the Year 2023, Primary
• Adamstown Community College, Cycling School of the Year 2023, Secondary 
• St Aidan's National School, Cycling School of the Year 2023, Primary
• Scoil Naomh Gobnait, Carpool School of the Year 2023, Primary
• St Brendan’s College, Carpool School of the Year 2023, Secondary
• St Brigid's National School, Park ‘n’ Stride School of the Year 2023, Primary
• Loreto Secondary School, Park ‘n’ Stride School of the Year 2023, Secondary 
• St Joseph’s Special School, Special School Sustainable Travel Award 2023
• St Cecilia’s School, Special School Sustainable Travel Award 2023
• Scoil Mhuire, Big Travel Staffroom Challenge Winners 2023
• Presentation College, Castleisland, Big Travel TikTok Challenge Winners 2023 
• St Brigid's National School, Meath Hill, Ireland’s Travel School of the Year 2023