ASTI - Ireland's main second level teachers union

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Local second-level teacher Eileen Murphy has received an ASTI Achievement Award for her outstanding contribution to outdoor activities.

 

Eileen, a teacher at Old Bawn Community School in Tallaght, is a champion kayaker and the first woman to complete a solo circumnavigation of Ireland in a sea kayak.

 

ASTI General Secretary Pat King said: “Eileen is receiving an ASTI Achievement Award for her outstanding achievements in kayaking over the past 30 years and for her commitment to motivating young people to achieve their potential in outdoor activities through her involvement in water sport, mountain and rock climbing, and the Gaisce President’s Award.”

 

“The work carried out by teachers in the classroom is well recognised and affirmed by international research. However, what is much less visible is the valuable contribution teachers make outside the classroom to young people’s lives, to local communities and to society.

 

“Participation in extra curricular activities develops confidence and social skills such as the ability to work as part of a team. Mental health is improved. School attendance and grades are improved. Students who engage in extra curricular activities are more likely to complete further education after leaving school, they are less likely to engage in substance abuse and crime. These are just some of the benefits for students, communities and indeed for society which have been cited by experts and in research.”

 

The ASTI has presented three Achievement Awards in 2010. The other two awards went to Tom Reynolds and Triona Brosnan of St David’s Secondary School in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, for their work in guiding a team of students to win the World Championship Formula 1 in Schools.

 

Previous recipients of ASTI Achievement Awards include former Ireland Rugby coaches Eddie O’Sullivan and Declan Kidney, Cork Ladies Football Captain Angela Walsh, and MEP and rural Ireland campaigner Marian Harkin.  

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