'Every child has blossomed': Cork schools win Junior  Entrepreneur Programme awards

CORK schools have won an impressive four of the top 13 awards in the All-Island Junior Entrepreneur Programme (JEP) Awards, which sees primary school children create and launch a real business from their classroom.

The fourth, fifth, and sixth class at Lisheen National School, near Skibbereen, were named Class of the Year 2024, with the 26 pupils ranging in age from 10 to 13, starting ‘Draíocht na Mara’, an organic seaweed soap business.

The pupils collected, washed and dried carrageen moss from the local strand after learning about its antioxidant, soothing and moisturising properties. They also designing a label for the soap.

Teacher Niamh McCarthy said: 

“Every child in the class has blossomed and grown on this programme — children who aren’t suited to book learning, those who are highly academic, children who are very creative — there’s something for everyone.”

Fifth class in Summercove National School, Kinsale, also received the Marketing Gurus Award for their ‘The Kinsale Cookbook’ business.

Featuring recipes from restaurants in Kinsale, as well as the pupils’ favourite dishes, the pupils organised a whole-school competition to create artwork for the front cover and each section of the book.

They designed and placed a print ad in the local Kinsale Advertiser, made a creative video ad, advertised on the school website and held a community showcase day in the town centre to tell their story and sell their book.

Sixth class in St Peter’s National School, Dungourney, received the Digital Maestros Award for their ‘Crazy Candles’ business.

Their creation was a china teacup with a handmade candle inside, with the class setting up a project page on Instagram and TikTok and making reels documenting the candle-making process.

Fifth and sixth class in Castlelyons National School received the Health Heroes Award for their ‘The Sports Box business’, a kit comprising games and sports equipment for children, including items such as a skipping rope, tennis ball, ankle hopper, and resistance bands.