Outdoor Education student wins Innovation award

A forth year Outdoor Education student at GMIT Castlebar, Sinead Kelly from Phibsborough, Dublin, has won the GMIT Students Innovation Awards 2012 for her start-up business concept, an innovative therapeutic recreational service for teenagers.

Sinead is one of eight finalists who competed in the 'Dragons Den' style finals in GMIT Business in Innovation Centre last Friday (9 March).

The GMIT Innovation Awards competition gives students at the Castlebar campus a unique opportunity to test their creative business ideas and win prize money worth €1,000 (first prize) sponsored by Shell and business mentoring support worth €500 (second prize) sponsored by the Discovery Partnership.

Second prize was awarded to Gary Brennan from Clogher, Westport, Co Mayo, a fourth year Business student, for his start-up concept, a product for the hospitality industry. He won €300 and business mentoring support worth €500.

Third prize was awarded to John Doherty from Charlestown, Co Mayo, a fourth year Business in Computer Service Management, for his idea, a Smart phone app for marketing purposes. He won €200 and business mentoring support.

The remaining finalists were students Eoin Morrison, Thomas Connor, Lisa O'Gorman, Mark Duffy, Helen Carey, John Savage, Peter O'Connor, and Jason McLoin.

Maria Staunton, Manager of the Innovation in Business Centre (IiBC) at GMIT Castlebar, is delighted with the interest in this year's awards. "Over fifty students entered the awards in December (2011) with thirteen getting picked and eight going on to compete in this final."

"The awards give students the chance to explore ideas they have and see if they are commercially viable. We have a panel of external judges who decide which idea and presentation has the greatest potential."