Research & Innovation

Enactus TCD were crowned the winners of the Enactus Ireland National Competition which took place recently in Chartered Accountants House, Dublin 2. The Enactus Ireland National Competition saw colleges from 10 HEI’s across the country compete for the title where the winning team was closely followed by Enactus UL and semi-finalists Enactus NUIG and Enactus DCU.

Enactus TCD, supported by Aer Lingus, will go forward to represent Ireland at the Enactus World Cup in Silicon Valley, U.S.A this coming September. This innovative competition sees students, business leaders, academics and alumni come together for a showcase and celebration of the positive and innovative projects created by students at third level.

TCD presented the impacts of three projects with their headline project being Hope, that aims to empower homeless people to develop the necessary skills to allow them transition out of homelessness and earn a wage while doing so. The team do this by giving them an opportunity to coach football teams made up of Trinity students, while at the same time empowering them to develop their soft skills and confidence in a professional environment.

KeepAppy, their second headline project, is an app that puts wellness into people’s pockets everywhere. It is a wellness toolkit, comprising of ten features that feed into three primary mechanisms: mental unwellness prevention, mental maintenance and growth towards a wellness-oriented lifestyle and finally, access to emergency care through their geo-specific partnered helplines.

Their final project 2030 Leaders, empowers disadvantaged youth through a programme of training on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and leadership skills. With these new skills, the youths will apply them by teaching younger students the SDG’s in an accessible, fun way.

Enactus Chairman, Terence O’Rourke, said: “The energy from the students is contagious and this year again we have seen a truly amazing range of projects and initiatives creating real community impacts. We are very excited for Enactus TCD to represent Ireland at the Enactus World Cup.”

Carmel Walsh, HR Director at Aer Lingus, “Aer Lingus has a proud tradition in supporting and employing graduates. Competitions like Enactus are fantastic for nurturing the next generation of socially conscious business leaders. Aer Lingus is delighted to be flying Team Enactus TCD to Silicon Valley in September. We wish Team Ireland the very best of luck at the Enactus World Cup.”

In a first for the organisation, the final was a carbon neutral event. No single-use plastics were present at the final and Abbott Ireland provided bamboo keepcups for all attendees. Enactus has also partnered with Enterprise Rent-A-Car to hold a tree planting ceremony later this year, ensuring Enactus makes a difference – much like the students the organisation champions.