The government has announced a massive €624,523 funding package for 27 NGOs to deliver sustainability projects and encourage students to engage in “meaningful action” in society.
In a press release published today Education and Youth Minister Hildegarde Naughton announced the grants for the 2026-2027 period under the Second National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development.
The funded projects will support a broad range of initiatives that strengthen the teaching of sustainable development in primary and post-primary schools.
The Minister congratulated the organisations receiving the funding to bring these initiatives to life.
“It is fantastic to see such a diverse range of projects receiving funding to support Education for Sustainable Development in our primary and post-primary schools,” Naughton said.
“I want to congratulate all of the organisations whose commitment and expertise will help bring these initiatives to life”.
She noted that the investment will expand learning opportunities and enable more schools to participate in the sustainability programmes.
“This investment will expand professional learning opportunities for teachers, increase the availability of high-quality teaching and learning resources across the curriculum, and enable more schools to participate in innovative sustainability programmes,” she continued.
“Importantly, it will also create more opportunities for students to engage in meaningful action within their local communities”.
Naughton added that the strategy aims to equip youth with the confidence to take positive action globally.
“Education for Sustainable Development is about more than understanding environmental, social and economic challenges,” she said.
“It is about equipping young people with the knowledge, skills and confidence to make informed decisions and to take positive action at local, national and global level”.
The grants, which range from €6,325 to €25,000, will be distributed among groups such as the An Taisce, Dublin Zoo, and more.
Many of the funded projects feature hands-on workshops designed to involve students directly in sustainability action within their schools and local areas.
In 2025, 21 organisations were granted €465,962 under the same funding scheme.
According to the Department of Education and Youth, this funding supported direct engagement with 309,210 students across 97 schools.
A separate funding call exclusively for schools will be issued in September 2026, offering up to €2,500 per school for further sustainability-related projects.
The push for climate activism in the classroom has been an ongoing priority for the government.
Speaking to Gript in May 2025 ahead of a cabinet meeting, Tánaiste Simon Harris defended the practice of teaching children to engage in climate activism.
The Fine Gael leader stated that encouraging young people to be active citizens is beneficial.
“I think encouraging the next generation to be active citizens, to actively be able to have their voice heard on issues, is a good thing,” Harris said.
“We do live in a climate emergency… The science is very clear. And I think that providing our young people, and indeed all our citizens, with evidence in relation to that is a good thing”.
Children’s Minister Norma Foley, who previously served as Education Minister, also strongly defended the introduction of activism into the classroom at the time.
Speaking to Gript on the same day in 2025, the Fianna Fáil Minister praised students who take the lead on climate action.
“I think we’re very fortunate with the calibre of young people we have in this country,” Foley said.
“I’ve seen it myself first-hand in our schools… and within the school they advocate for one another, they advocate for wider society”.
She added that young people are some of the most impressive leaders in the climate action space.
“Some of the greatest leaders and most impressive leaders…in the area of climate action have actually been young people themselves,” she continued.
“This particular program for climate action and sustainability very much suits that spirit… of determination by young people to ensure that they have a planet that will be sustained, and that they are proactive and positive contributors to society”.
When asked directly if she thought it was positive that children are encouraged towards climate activism in schools, Foley asserted that young people are already leaders in that space.
“There is no one better at encouraging wider society to be more climate conscious than young people,” she said.
The drive for sustainability action aligns with the new Leaving Certificate subject, Climate Action and Sustainable Development, which was introduced in selected schools for the 2025/26 academic year.
According to the State Examinations Commission, the course aims to encourage students to become activists, with sample exam papers asking students to explore concepts such as climate injustice, environmental racism, and the influence of colonialism on global climate outcomes.
Higher level students are also tasked with giving examples of activism techniques, including civil disobedience, lobbying, and trade union organising.