Launching a Real-World Sustainable Building Project
This week marked an incredible milestone as Limerick ETSS officially launched a real-world, interdisciplinary project for Senior Cycle students in partnership with JJ Rhatigan Construction. The project challenges students to design a sustainable 220 m² bungalow, integrating skills from Construction Studies, DCG, Computer Science, Physics, Business, and Accounting, while working directly from and with industry professionals.
But the launch at the end of the week was much more than a single event. It was the result of thoughtful preparation, deep collaboration, and a shared belief that students learn best when their work is meaningful, authentic, and connected to the world beyond the classroom.
Building the Foundation: Vision, Planning, and Alignment
The foundation began years ago with a vision from the principal and the hard work he has put in to his vision. Limerick Educate Together Secondary School has grown exponentially over the years. The focus on delivering core content and skills through authentic and relevant experiences as been at the core of the school since the beginning. Principal Eoin Shinners has worked to take this vision to the next level. His Deputy Principal Liz Shinners carries the responsibility for the steering and organization of the program, ensuring all of the pieces are in place. Taking an industry leading approach of changing how Irish education sees Project Based Learning. He wanted students not just to “do projects” but wanted students to work alongside professionals from all industries. That’s where we begin the story of this week.
The week began with a meeting with the school leadership team, where we aligned on the purpose, outcomes, and long-term vision of the project. Their commitment was clear: this isn’t simply a project that checks a box, it’s an opportunity to prepare students for the future, to build confidence, and to show what real-world learning looks like when schools and industry work side by side. The goal is to be the exemplar model across all of Europe in how multiple subjects come together and working in partnership with industry partners.
From there, I met with the full teacher team to map out the project scope. Together, we framed what students will already know coming in, and what they will need to learn along the way. Teachers identified the skills, content, and milestones that would support student success while ensuring that each subject area maintains its rigorous academic expectations.
Next came content planning. In individual and small-group sessions, teachers aligned their coursework with the project, identified benchmarks, and mapped the full project timeline across the coming months. They revised lessons, clarified outcomes, built in feedback points, and ensured that students will have the knowledge and tools to apply what they learn in meaningful, integrated ways.
The team worked hard to ensure that their core curriculum was mapped for all students and it was challenging, however they took the challenge head on! It took collaboration, flexibility, and a willingness to think differently about teaching. The teachers deserve incredible credit for designing a learning experience that honors both deep academic learning and authentic application. They made sure to build in opportunities to throw curveballs at the kids during the project to replicate the real world. Their commitment ensures that students will learn not just about sustainable construction, but how to design, justify, analyze, assess costings and build sustainably.
The Project Launch: Students in the Lead
On the final day of the week, we welcomed our partners from JJ Rhatigan to officially launch the project with students. The room had a nervous energy with students, teachers, and industry mentors, how will this all come together?
To build a collective understanding with a shared dialogue, JJ Rhatigan partners and students participated in a World Café protocol, rotating between tables hosted by teachers and industry professionals. Each station was led by the content teacher leader who led a conversation between industry and education. By the end, students had crafted a collective set of Knows and Need to Knows, which will guide learning throughout the project.
A Shared Vision, Now in Motion
This project is a celebration of what is possible when schools, teachers, and industry come together with a shared purpose. It honors:
The Principal, whose vision for authentic, future-focused learning made all of this possible. The Deputy Principal– Liz Shinners her role and the responsibility to steer the PBL program.
The teachers, who have embraced collaboration, cross-curricular planning, and rigorous academic design.
Our industry partner, JJ Rhatigan, whose expertise elevates the project and brings real-world meaning to student learning.
The Students, who showed curiosity, confidence, and excitement as they stepped into a challenge that matters.
Just the Beginning
The journey is just beginning, and the next few months will be filled with design work, problem solving, industry feedback, academic learning, and hands-on application. Students won’t just complete a project by proposing solutions and designs, they’ll gain experience that prepares them for college, apprenticeships, careers, and life.
And most importantly, they will see that learning isn’t something that happens only in school. It is connected to the world, to the community, and to their future.
