County Waterford school wins two national inclusion awards
Pictured are Mr. Downey and Ms. Westnott with the awards. Photo: John Power
A County Waterford school won two major awards recently for their efforts in promoting diversity and inclusion.
Ardscoil na Mara, Tramore won two awards from BelongTo for their LGBTQ+ Stand Up Week initiative.
Stand Up Week (SUW) takes place in schools across the country in November every year, and Ardscoil na Mara has taken part in the event since 2015.
The goal of the week each year is to create an inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ members of the school community.
Each year, Belong To, an Irish organisation supporting LGBTQ+ youth, awards schools for their contributions to SUW.
Ardscoil na Mara won the Photography Award as well as the biggest national accolade, the Impact Award, for their 2025 Stand Up Week, which included everything from staff wearing rainbow coloured lanyards to creating a lunchroom for LGBTQ+ students and allies.
A spokesperson for the school comment: "The week culminated in a colourful show of solidarity, in which staff and students from across the school created a human rainbow flag."
"This week staff and students involved in the Stand Up Committee celebrated their win," said the spokesperson.
Angeline Westnott, Irish teacher and Stand Up organiser, said: “While we’re thrilled with both awards, the Impact Award is especially meaningful to us. We worked hard to bring our LGBTQ+ initiatives beyond the school community, and into the wider Tramore community via our Parents’ Council, Tramore Library, and local businesses."
"To win a national award is a celebration of the fact that Ardscoil na Mara is a safe space of inclusivity where every individual feels welcome and valued," she added.
