Students from Ratoath College and Dunshaughlin Community College were among more than 100 young ambassadors celebrated at the largest-ever #andshecycles Awards Ceremony, held at the Midlands Park Hotel in Portlaoise. The event, run by An Taisce’s Green-Schools Travel programme, recognised schools across Ireland for their efforts to encourage teenage girls to cycle to school.

Throughout the year, ambassadors completed workshops in campaign planning, communications and advocacy. Ratoath students ran poster competitions, awareness talks, social media campaigns and a two-week “Anything but Drive” challenge. Dunshaughlin students surveyed cycling habits, organised a bike repair course, ran cycling quizzes and planned a community upcycling event.

Programme Manager Allison Phillips praised the 122 participants as “a powerful movement of young leaders working to close the cycling gender gap,” noting that their skills had been turned into real-world action.

The initiative tackles a striking imbalance: only one in 250 teenage girls in Ireland cycles to school daily. The programme’s growth reflects a growing appetite among young people to drive inclusive, sustainable change — and to make cycling feel accessible and empowering for girls across the country.

Well done to all staff and students from both schools who were involved in the initiative.