Tipperary school among top award winners
10,000 Irish primary school children have launched 300 classroom businesses this year as part of their participation in the Junior Entrepreneur Programme.
The pupils combined their innate creativity with the skills they developed on the programme. They worked together as a class to create original products and launch businesses ranging from board games and toys to high-end craft and educational products.
Marie Lynch, the co-founder of the Junior Entrepreneur Programme, said that “JEP has become a rite of passage for children in primary schools before they move on to secondary school.” “The class develops a lasting bond by working together and combining their talents to experience real-world success. For many, it is the highlight of their primary school years”.
Enterprise Ireland has supported JEP since 2020 under its Primary Schools Entrepreneurship Initiative, underlining the vital role of entrepreneurship in shaping Ireland’s future and the commitment to fostering an entrepreneurial culture from an early age.
6th Class Scoil íde, Corbally, Limerick received the Tech Titans Award for their JEP business Bows ‘n’ Bandanas from Capulanas. The class designed and made a range of products from surplus capulana fabric, which comes from Mozambique. They began by learning to sew and cut patterns.
The fabric was introduced to them by a new pupil from Mozambique. They created a website to sell their products.
Morgan Manifold, a 6th class pupil from Scoil Ide Corbally Limerick, worked on the Design & Production team for their class business Bows’n’bandanas from Capulanas. Morgan said, “What I enjoyed most about JEP was how creative I could be. There were no boundaries on what I could do” Morgan and her class won the Tech Titans Award for their JEP business. The class made a profit of €1,200 from sales of their products. (Photo included)
5th and 6th Class, Bishop Harty National School, Ballinree, Co. Tipperary received the Genius Product Award for their JEP business, Multi-Sports Stand. Inspired by their love of sport, the 5th and 6th class from Bishop Harty National School designed and made a wooden stand for sports equipment, including hurleys, rackets and helmets. The pupils enlisted the help of a local carpenter to teach them woodworking skills.
They set up a stall at the Barack Obama Plaza to sell their product. Niamh Spain, who was on the marketing team, said that “My proudest moment was meeting Padraig Harrington at the Plaza. He was very nice, and he bought one of our stands”, she said. The children made almost €1,000 profit from their business.
5th Class Gaelscoil Bhríde, Durlas, Tiobraid Árann created, designed and sold a game called Bonn go Baithis. Bonn go Baithis is a family-friendly game that includes active cards, general knowledge cards, and trick cards, with some ‘as Gaeilge’.
The complete list of 2023 Category Award winners:
Class of the Year:
5th & 6th Class St. Saviour’s N.S., Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow
BushCraft Boxes
Top Teams:
6th Class St. Raphaela’s National School, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin
Hook It
Marketing Gurus:
6th Class Scoil Mológa, Clareville Road, Dublin 6
Gallúnach Ghalánta
Tech Titans:
6th Class Scoil íde, Corbally, Limerick
Bows ‘n’ Bandanas from Capulanas
Go Green:
4th–6th Class Rampark N.S., Jenkinstown, Dundalk, Co. Louth
Coastal Candles
Creative Pioneers:
6th Class St. Joseph’s Primary School, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo
Handmade Seed Paper
Health Heroes:
6th Class Knocktemple NS, Virginia, Co. Cavan
Comfy Cushions
Dynamic Designers:
5th & 6th Class Laragh 2 Muff NS, Kingscourt, Co. Cavan
Crafty Cards
Star Submission:
P7 Spires Integrated Primary School, Magherafelt, Co. Derry
Fluffy Friends
Changemakers:
Class: Síolta Beaga Bunscoil Mhuire, Youghal, Co. Cork
BEE Kind
Finance Wizards:
5th Class Summercove National School, Kinsale, Co. Cork
The Kinsale Calendar
Genius Product:
5th & 6th Class Bishop Harty N.S., Ballinree, Co. Tipperary
Multi-Sports Stand
Tech Titans:
6th Class Scoil íde, Corbally, Limerick
Bows ‘n’ Bandanas from Capulanas
Community Champions:
6th Class Scoil Chróine, Dungloe, Co. Donegal
Aisling na nÉan (A Bird’s Dream)
Enterprise Ireland has supported JEP since 2020 under its Primary Schools Entrepreneurship Initiative, underlining the vital role of entrepreneurship in shaping Ireland’s future and the commitment to fostering an entrepreneurial culture from an early age.
Over 100,000 children have started classroom businesses since the Junior Entrepreneur Programme launched in 2010. Thousands of Irish entrepreneurs have mentored the 5th and 6th class primary school pupils while they create, invest in and launch mini businesses in their schools throughout the island of Ireland.
The businesses created by the participating pupils have achieved sales of almost €3 million, with a significant proportion of the profits being donated to local charities. “One of the key changes in the approaches of the classroom entrepreneurs has been the realisation that their entrepreneurial endeavours can make a difference in their locality. As a result, they’ve embraced the concept of social entrepreneurship, funded by their successful classroom businesses,” explained JEP co-founder Marie Lynch.