Scoil Aireagail in County Kilkenny has been named the winner of the Mixed/Large Group Financial Prize at the 2025 AIB Future Sparks School Impact Awards, securing €2,000 in funding for the school.
The award-winning project, Empowering Future Generations: A Student-Led Financial Literacy Book & Community Initiative, was praised for its innovative approach to financial education. The initiative aimed to empower students, engage the broader community, and promote financial literacy across generations.
Now in its latest edition, the AIB Future Sparks School Impact Awards celebrate the work of schools across Ireland that are making meaningful contributions to their communities. The awards are centred around three key pillars—Environmental, Social, and Financial—and recognise projects that involve volunteering, awareness campaigns, mentoring, peer education, fundraising, skills-sharing, and sustainability efforts.
This year’s ceremony took place on April 29th at Dublin’s iconic Croke Park, drawing 124 submissions from schools nationwide. The event was hosted by digital creator, teacher, and presenter John Sharpson, and highlighted the incredible community-driven work happening in schools throughout Ireland.
Speaking to KCLR News after the win, Scoil Aireagail teacher Rita Dooley expressed her excitement:
“We are absolutely delighted—gobsmacked! It’s been an amazing event and journey, full of learnings for our students. It’s a fantastic achievement for our school and the wider community as well. We desperately need digital technology in our school, so the prize money will be earmarked to buy some much-needed laptops.”
The award marks a proud moment for Scoil Aireagail and a shining example of how student-led initiatives can create lasting community impact.
