The 5th and 6th class students at Bekan National School undertook an exciting project this year, which aligns closely with the ISF mission of promoting skin health and sun safety.
The students participated in the Junior Entrepreneur Programme. As part of this initiative, the children were required to research a business idea and sell a product, with the goal of using the proceeds to benefit their class. Their aim was to subsidise their school trip to Emerald Park, a reward they were very excited about.
During the course of their project, all schools in the country received a letter from the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) recommending that schools encourage children to wear sun hats, when outdoors, during the summer months to protect themselves from harmful UV rays. This timely recommendation inspired the students to focus their business idea on promoting sun safety.
The students decided to design and sell fashionable yet practical bucket hats for their peers. They researched various styles and materials, ensuring that their products were both appealing and effective in providing sun protection. The project not only educated them about the entrepreneurial process but also raised their awareness about the importance of sun safety—a lesson that which will benefit them for years to come. Every child that bought a hat also received the ‘For Everyone Under the Sun’ brochure supplied by the ISF.
Through their hard work and dedication, the students successfully sold their hats and achieved their goal of subsidising their school trip. This project was a tremendous success, and it instilled in the students a sense of responsibility towards their health and well-being, as well as that of their peers. During the school’s sports day this year the children wore their bucket hats!
Class teacher, Margaret McGing said of the project, “We are proud of our students’ achievements and believe that their project aligns perfectly with the Irish Skin Foundation’s goals.
“We want to thank our school Principal, Ms. Marie McDonagh, who gave us huge support throughout the project, and is proud of the children and the message they were promoting.
“We hope that you find this story as inspiring as we do and that it may serve as an example of how young people can contribute to promoting sun safety in our communities.”
We want everyone in Ireland to learn to Protect & Inspect their skin! To learn more visit our information booklets page to download our ‘Protect & Inspect’ resources and our ‘Everyone Under the Sun’ booklet.
