The Think Smart, Create Green initiative is an annual international contest organised by EU-CONEXUS, inviting post-primary students across Ireland to develop their own sustainability projects.
The EU-CONEXUS schools contest challenges students aged 12–14 and 14–17 to design projects that tackle environmental issues, promote smart city technologies, and emphasise the circular economy and the 9 R’s. Focusing on their local communities, participants must present their projects to a panel of judges and answer follow-up questions—building critical thinking, creativity, and communication skills. Now in its fifth year and supported by Calmast at SETU, the competition has become a platform for raising environmental awareness and inspiring young people to lead change toward a greener future.
The National Final took place on Wednesday, 26 March. This year’s national finalists included teams from across the South East and beyond:
- The Worm Academy, Coláiste Iósaef, Limerick (1st place)
- The Green Team, Ardscoil na Mara, Waterford (2nd place)
- The Octonauts, CBS Carlow (3rd place)
- The Bin Men, CBS Carlow
- Legacy Technology, CBS Carlow
The Worm Academy from Coláiste Iósaef, Limerick, were crowned the Irish winners. The judging panel praised their project’s innovation and highlighted the strong social impact at its core.
The Worm Academy from Coláiste Iósaef, Limerick, were crowned the Irish winners. The judging panel praised their project’s innovation and highlighted the strong social impact at its core.
The Think Smart, Create Green contest not only promotes environmental action but also strengthens teamwork, public speaking, and sustainable thinking. It empowers students to become advocates for positive change in their communities and beyond.
Upon receiving the award, a team member commented:
“We showed how sustainability can be achieved at every stage in our vermicomposting project—from collecting organic kitchen waste, to using worms to naturally break it down, to producing nutrient-rich compost that helps grow new plants without chemical fertilisers. We’re proud to prove that even the smallest creatures can help create a greener future."
The International Final was hosted online by alliance partner the University of Zadar on Thursday, 10 April. The Croatian team Green Innovators took first place in the 12–14 age category, while Greece won the 14–17 category with their AiRcar project.
“The international winners were very worthy champions in a contest with an extremely tight scoring margin,” remarked judge Karolyn McDonnell of SETU. “The diversity of projects—spanning waste reduction, seed dispersal, SMART transport systems, and water conservation—highlights the sustainability concerns of young people across Europe. The projects were of a high standard, very well thought-out, and showed real commercialisation potential. It’s great to see the contest going from strength to strength.”
The 6th edition of the contest will launch in May 2025, accompanied by a Calmast media and direct marketing campaign that will continue into the 2025–2026 academic year. For more information click here.
About EU-CONEXUS
EU-CONEXUS is a fully-fledged transnational European University offering joint education, training and study programmes, joint research and professional development opportunities for all its staff, researchers, and students.
EU-CONEXUS is themed on “Smart Urban Coastal Sustainability”, focusing education, research & innovation, and knowledge-sharing activities on defining, understanding and addressing societal challenges experienced by communities from urban and semi-urbanised coastal regions (rivers, seas and oceans).
Further details can be found on