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Waterford Students Get Working on €7,000 Idea
- 13 February 2012
While many secondary school students are using the Christmas holidays as a well deserved break from their books, hundreds of budding innovators nationwide still have their minds firmly at work. Students across the country are using their free time as an opportunity to develop their ideas for the Green Dragon National Heat.
Agri Aware, with the support of Bord Bia, AIB Bank and FBD has called on second level students of all ages, from both rural and urban areas, to develop and implement original and ground breaking ideas for the Agriculture, Food, Environment and Health and Safety sectors.
Students are encouraged to develop their concept for a new product or service within these four sectors. The ultimate goal is to impress the Green Dragon panel and take the student's idea to the marketplace. A total of 25 finalists will battle it out at the National Final in March 2012 for the highly coveted prize of a development fund of €7,000, in addition to a number of runners up prizes for students, teachers and their schools.
Students across Ireland will pitch their ideas to the Green Dragons in February, with the hope of following in the footsteps of last year's winners, 'Oceana Boost' from Clonakilty Community School, Co. Cork. These fifth year students are conducting further research into their seaweed health drink, which they hope to bring to the market in 2012, with the support of the Green Dragon Development prize fund.
With support from Teagasc, the Green Dragon category winners will this year showcase their idea at the Euroscience Open Forum as part of the Dublin City of Science in July 2012 at the National Convention Centre, Dublin. This event will be attended by over 6,000 scientists, business leaders and Government officials.
Lance O'Brien, Head of Foresight and Strategy Development with Teagasc remarked, "The City of Science component is a fantastic addition to this year's Challenge giving the category winners an excellent opportunity to showcase their ideas to a European audience".
Dragons' Den presenter, Richard Curran, who launched this year's Challenge commented, "An initiative such as this is hugely important for young people. It gives them a chance to exercise their creativity along with gaining real entrepreneurial experience while still at school".
Dynamic Dragons: Richard Curran, presenter of Dragons Den with Dublin students Dilan Tollen, Ruth Dargan, Sarah Keartland and Auyay Rao Appunah at the launch of Agri Aware's Green Dragon Secondary Schools Innovation Challenge in Dublin which asks secondary school students to come up with new ideas for the Agriculture, Food, Environment and Health and Safety sectors.
Source: Waterford Today - Waterford Students Get Working on €7,000 Idea
