Entering competitions in Transition Year is a great way to challenge yourself to do new things, gain new skills and meet new friends. Below you will find a list of competitions that are available for you to enter.
BT YOUNG SCIENTIST
In 1963 two physics researchers from the University College Dublin, Rev. Dr. Tom Burke and Dr. Tony Scott, came across the concept of ‘Science Fairs’ while conducting research in New Mexico, USA. The pair decided that this type of hands-on science was something that students in Ireland could benefit from. And so the Young Scientist Exhibition was born.
VEX ROBOTICS
In the VEX Competitions, presented by the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation, teams of students are tasked with designing and building a robot to play against other teams from around the world in a game-based engineering challenge.
F1 IN SCHOOLS IRELAND
F1 in Schools is a global, multi-disciplinary competition for secondary school students. Students design, build and race their very own miniature F1 car, with cars reaching speeds of over 100km/h! Through participating in F1 in Schools, students are provided with free access to CAD software, 3D printers and CNC machines to produce the most aerodynamic, most efficient and fastest car possible. Teams of 3-6 students can register for the competition with a coordinating teacher before the 15th of November 2020. Each year, the top four Irish teams travel to the F1 in Schools World Finals to represent Ireland at a chosen Grand Prix event as part of the trip of a lifetime. If you think you can build Ireland's fastest car, visit F1 In Schools today.
YOUNG SOCIAL INNOVATORS
As a young innovator you’ll be challenged to look at the world around you and to identify and explore issues affecting you, your friends, your community and wider society. More than just coming up with a solution, you will be asked to put that idea into action and to create change. You will see other perspectives, using your own expertise and creativity to design solutions based on real human experience and need.
THE STORY OF YOUR STUFF COMPETITION
The Story of Your Stuff is an EPA competition for second level students aimed at highlighting sustainability, climate action and environmental protection. Second-level students are invited to bring together their curiosity and their creativity, and to investigate the environmental story of their everyday ‘stuff’, which can be an object or an activity.
AIB Build A Bank
AIB’s Build a Bank Challenge, now in its 16th year, challenges you and your team to build a bank, but you’ll get so much more out of it than that! The Challenge offers students in transition year an opportunity to showcase their creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship.
You’ll also get the chance to give back to your school or community, learning skills along the way that will stand to you for life. Not only will you be introduced to the world of banking & business, but you'll get to bank great prizes along the way!
Irish Tax Institute's "FanTAXTtic" Competition
“FanTAXtic” is a competition for TY students which will develop your team, presentation and research skills and also gives you the opportunity to win Beats headphones and cash prizes for your team and school! It involves getting together in groups of 3, researching the new Sugar Tax, and making a short 2 minute video of your findings. The great thing is, you don’t need to know anything about tax to take part! All the details can be found here.
Certified Irish Angus Schools Competition
Certified Irish Angus schools competition gives TY students a once in a lifetime opportunity to rear five Angus calves for 18 months, while preparing a research project related to the Irish Agri Food industry.
Each of the finalists will receive the financial benefit involved in the selling of the animals on completion of the project. The winning students also receive an additional grant of €2,000 for their further education.
Visit www.certifiedirishangus.ie/schools for information about the competition stages and how to enter. The closing date for entries is 18th November 2022.
EUROPEAN CHARLEMAGNE YOUTH PRIZE
Since 2008, the European Parliament together with the ‘Foundation of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen’ have each year been inviting young people from all EU Member States to submit projects run by and for youth showing an active participation in the development of Europe.
STUDENT ENTERPRISE AWARDS
Each year over 22,000 students all over Ireland get to find out what it’s really like to be their own boss and run their own business by taking part in the Student Enterprise Programme
CLEAN TECH COMPETITION
The Clean Tech Competition is a unique, worldwide research and design challenge for pre-college youth. The program encourages scientific understanding of real-world issues and the integration of environmentally responsible energy sources. Each year, the Clean Tech Competition addresses an issue that is grounded in core technological competency areas and focuses on the next great engineering challenges.
SCHOOL DIGITAL CHAMPION
This is a unique opportunity for students to become involved in an exciting and innovative programme that has the potential to involve learning at many levels. This exciting programme enables students to develop their creativity, critical-thinking and communications skills.
MENTAL HEALTH IRELAND ART & PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
An annual competition that gives students the opportunity to create an artwork or take a photograph inspired by a title such as "Mind Your Mental Health"
SEAI ONE GOOD IDEA COMPETITION
One Good Idea is SEAI's competition for primary and post primary schools. They are asking students to come up with one good idea that will inspire lifestyle changes in the people around them that will save energy and help tackle climate change
GENERATION EURO STUDENTS' AWARD
Generation €uro is Ireland’s leading economics competition for Transition Year and Fifth Year students. The competition is run by the Central Bank of Ireland in conjunction with the European Central Bank and is conducted simultaneously by other national central banks in the euro area.
JOHN HOOPER MEDAL FOR STATISTICS
The goal of the competition is to improve students' abilities to describe their environment with the help of statistics and to use statistics as a tool for making sense of daily life.
CODERDOJO COOLEST PROJECTS AWARDS
The Coolest Projects awards are unique in Europe and were established on a voluntary basis by a number of industry professionals as both a competition and exhibition to support and inspire a generation of innovators, creators and entrepreneurs aged from 7 to 17. The awards, which are now in their fourth year, create a unique platform for young people to develop a broad set of digital abilities by offering them the opportunity to showcase the skills they have learned at CoderDojo.
THE MATHESON JUNIOR DEBATING
A debating competition for students in the junior cycle of secondary schools in Ireland. Preliminary rounds take place in schools around the country from September to February, with the National Mace Final taking place in April each year.
GAISCE - THE PRESIDENT'S AWARD
Gaisce – The President’s Award is a self-development programme that encourages you to find your passion, get active and make a difference in your community! Gaisce is a direct challenge from the President of Ireland to young people aged 15-25 to dream big and realise their potential. There are three levels of Gaisce – Bronze, Silver and Gold. The more time and energy you give, the greater the reward!
NATIONAL CAREER SKILLS COMPETITION
This competition asks you to investigate closely one person who you get to work alongside during your placement. It asks you to describe the job-role, find out what education is required to enter it, to notice some of the skills required to do the job well, and most importantly, tell us what skills you have developed during that time. In other words, you need to complete a Career Investigation for a job role you observe during your work experience.
EIR JUNIOR SPIDERS AWARDS
A competition that awards students for their website or app. Ages 16 – 19 – includes categories for Best Individual Project, Best Group Project, Best Concept, Best Web Design, Suíomh is fearr, Best App, Best Digital Game and Grand Prix.
TREND MICRO "WHAT'S YOUR STORY" COMPETITION
Create and upload a 2 minute video on the theme then spread the word to get as many views, ratings and comments as you can. Entries with the highest views and ratings get shortlisted for our judges who decide the winners.
SCIFEST
The SciFest programme consists of four distinct strands – local, regional, national and international. The aim of the programme is to encourage a love of science, technology and maths through active, collaborative, inquiry-based learning and to provide a forum for students at local, regional and national level to present and display their scientific investigations.
YOUNG ANIMATOR OF THE YEAR
Secondary school students are invited, from all over Ireland, to submit their short animations for entry to the national YAOTY awards.
YOUNG ENVIRONMENTALIST AWARDS
Since 1999, ECO-UNESCO has run the YEA programme to honour the work of young people to protect, conserve and enhance the environment through local environmental projects, making a difference to their lives and the lives of others both locally and globally.
YOUNG ECONOMIST OF THE YEAR
An economics competition that encourages students to research various economics topics of their choice and integrate digital media into their projects.
Press Pass
The Press Pass Competition is designed specifically to enable students and teachers alike to learn all about newspapers and the writing, analysis, preparation and photography that’s involved in putting one together.
European Youth Parliament
The European Youth Parliament (EYP) Ireland is a non-profit, non-partisan organisation that runs a number of weekend long conferences every year for young people. EYP Ireland is one of 36 national committees of the European Youth Parliament International, the European umbrella organization of our organisation.