Finn Reilly, Anna Sanju, Neishelle Leone Tadeo and Majella Walsh from Loreto College, Cavan, who came third with their game ‘World Wide Worries’ are pictured with Trócaire’s Finola Finnan.8Photo: Mark Stedman

Loreto ladies get award for environmental game

Transition Year students from the Cavan Town college grabbed third place in the post-primary category at the 2023 Trócaire Game Changers awards in the Helix Centre in Dublin.

Anna Sanju, Neishelle Leone Tadeo and Majella Walsh came up with a game which impressed judges called ‘World Wide Worries’ exploring Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

There were 223 entries from all over Ireland in the competition. Only 26 board, digital and card games - based on different themes including climate change, gender equality and education, refugee journeys and ocean pollution – made it through to the finals. Trócaire Game Changers is an annual competition run by the Development Education team, who run workshops in schools and youth groups across the country teaching students and young people about global justice issues.

The programme invited students to create a development education game that focuses on one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Students played and judged the games of fellow finalists at the event.

Trócaire’s Director of Ireland Programmes, Gwen Dempsey, said at the event: “One of Trócaire’s aims is to connect, engage and mobilise people to act together for change. Game Changers and The Right Focus are a perfect example of this. All of the young people who have taken part in this programme not only learn about global justice issues themselves but also become peer educators. The quality of the games and documentaries they created was outstanding.

“By working together we can bring about real and positive lasting change and the amazing interest these young people have shown in issues of social justice is both humbling and heartening.”