European Parliament Ambassador School (EPAS) Programme Update
Our engagement with the European Parliament Ambassador School (EPAS) programme reached an exciting milestone on Friday, April 24th, 2026. Organized entirely by our 3rd-year CSPE classes using dedicated EPAS resources, St. Joseph's Secondary School proudly hosted a special visit from MEP Barry Andrews and Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee.
The event brought together an enthusiastic audience, including school management, teaching staff, and a select group of EPAS and Politics students. The visit centered around a highly interactive, lively discussion and Q&A session. Students had the opportunity to engage directly with the representatives, sharing interesting facts and learning more about democratic processes, political representation, and the broader impact of European policies at both local and international levels.
On Thursday, May 7th, 2026, St. Joseph’s Secondary School, Rush, came alive with energy and community spirit to celebrate Europe Day.
The morning kicked off with enthusiastic EPAS Ambassadors assembling outside Room 43 to put up posters, prepare information flyers, and set up a vibrant, EU-themed bake sale in the hall. At Breaktime, the school hall buzzed with excitement as face-painting stations opened alongside a sale of delicious buns decorated in European flag colours in aid of St. Vincent de Paul (SVP).
This year's festivities marked the 81st anniversary of VE Day and the eve of the 76th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration. Throughout the midday periods, first-year students eagerly participated in a lively scavenger hunt, while "Fact Ambassadors" roamed the corridors wearing trivia on their backs, accompanied by live music, further face painting, and an interactive Instagram photo cutout in the hall. A special highlight of the day saw students gathering to sign a commemorative "10th Birthday" card for EPAS, celebrating a decade of the ambassador school programme. The excitement continued into the afternoon with a competitive, whole-school Kahoot! quiz, concluding with an outreach initiative to distribute EU information sheets to the local community, followed by raffle announcements, prize-giving for the quiz winners, and a final collaborative tidy-up.
St. Joseph's Celebrates Decades of EU Excellence at European Parliament Ambassador School Awards
DUBLIN, Friday 8th May 2026 – St. Joseph’s Secondary School, Rush, solidified its place at the forefront of European civic education as our Transition Year European Parliament Ambassador School (EPAS) class officially retained the school’s prestigious EPAS plaque for another year. Guided under the expert leadership of Senior Ambassadors Ms. Irwin and Ms. Moore, the enthusiastic TY group was recognized for their outstanding work in promoting EU democracy, history, and values across the entire school community.
The culmination of their hard work took center stage last Friday during a high-profile, official regional awards ceremony hosted by the European Parliament Liaison Office at Europe House in Dublin. Standing before an audience of school representatives from across the region and a panel of attending Irish MEPs, our Junior Ambassadors confidently presented a showcase of their year-long civic initiatives.
The ceremony held a profound significance for St. Joseph’s, as the European Parliament Liaison Office presented a special accolade celebrating our school’s remarkable 10-year milestone of continuous dedication to the European Parliament Ambassador Schools Programme. The milestone award recognizes a decade of fostering global awareness, political literacy, and active citizenship among students in Rush.
The recognition followed a fantastic lineup of student-led "Europe Day" festivities back on campus. Marking the official global Europe Day (held annually on May 9th), the TY class organized an array of interactive events to engage the entire student body. This included a hugely popular EU-themed breaktime bake sale in the school hall that successfully raised funds in aid of St. Vincent de Paul (SVP), alongside cross-classroom Kahoot! quizzes, live Eurovision trivia, and an energetic, educational scavenger hunt designed specifically for the first-year classes.
Senior and Junior EPAS ambassadors presenting the 10th Birthday card . No birthday celebration is complete without cake. Europa House did not dissapoint here , We can confirm that suitablely themed cupcakes were consummed.
Following their success in Dublin, the TY team presented their comprehensive portfolio to the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). Mr Nealon, Ms Brangan,and Mr Reade expressed their immense pride in the students, noting the extraordinary confidence, leadership, and public speaking skills they have developed throughout the project. Their creative promotion of the benefits of Ireland's EU membership has left a lasting impression across the corridors.
A massive congratulations to Ms. Irwin, Ms. Moore, and our dedicated TY Junior Ambassadors. Your hard work, brilliant representation in Dublin, and historic milestone award will rightfully take pride of place on the Awards wall.