Some 23,600 students from 480 Irish secondary schools take part in the Student Enterprise Programme through the Local Enterprise Offices every year, bringing the world of business into the classroom.
Individuals and teams of the county’s most enterprising teenagers are counting down to the national finals on Wednesday, May 2nd in Croke Park.
77 Finalists This Year
Starting every September, students across three age categories, junior, intermediate and senior, research, set up and run their own businesses with the help of their teachers.
Nationwide, 230 students from 77 different student enterprises have now reached this year’s National Finals, having qualified through school and county finals earlier in the year.
Castleisland’s Complete Camán
Student entrepreneurs from Presentation Secondary School, Castleisland, Saint Joseph’s Secondary School, Ballybunion and Killorglin Community College will be representing Kerry on May 2nd.
The line-up includes: Complete Camán from Presentation Secondary School, Castleisland in the junior category; Custom Arcades from St. Joseph’s Secondary School, Ballybunion in the intermediate category and STEM from Killorglin Community College in the senior category.
Guidance of Pierce Dargan
Working under the guidance of Pierce Dargan from Presentation Secondary School, Castleisland the Junior Category finalists are: Fiona Brosnan, Joanna Moynihan, Chantelle Broderick, Katie Cotter and Tara Enright.
The students have developed a complete all in one training hurley.
In the intermediate category, the students competing in Croke Park under the guidance of Mary Stenson from St. Joseph’s Secondary School, Ballybunion are: Andrew O’Connor, Adam O’Mahony, Darragh Hanrahan and Evan Mulcare.
Retro Arcade Machines in Bally B
These students have developed retro arcade machines. Timothy McGrath is competing in the senior category, under the guidance of Lisa Cahillane from Killorglin Community College.
Timothy has developed a variety of products that help students understand STEM subjects.
Run by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices in every local authority area, the Student Enterprise Programme is the biggest enterprise education initiative of its kind in the country.
Kerry Local Enterprise Office
Funding for the programme is provided by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland. Since it started in 2003, over 150,000 students have taken part.
“The National Final in Croke Park is the biggest celebration of secondary school entrepreneurs in the country every year and we want to wish the students from Kerry the very best of luck in judging on May 2nd.,” said Tomás Hayes of the Kerry Local Enterprise Office.
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