Westmeath student Kaitlyn wins solar panels as art prize

The talents of Gaelscoil an Choillín pupil Kaitlyn Nunkoo were acknowledged as the skilled artist was chosen as the national winner in an all Ireland competition. Kaitlyn was selected from more than 1,000 entries to the Bright Eyes drawing competition by Ohk Energy.

The programme is a nationwide educational outreach for primary schools. The Ohk team visited more than 100 schools across Ireland, delivering interactive workshops to make learning about renewable energy fun, engaging, and meaningful.

The national drawing competition invited students to create their own renewable energy mascots.

“I saw a robot in the movie and I decided to draw one like it for the competition. My mum encouraged me to draw a background for it,” winner Kaitlyn told the Westmeath Examiner.

Ohk Energy is a renewable energy company providing solar PV systems, heat pumps, EV chargers, and retrofits for homes, farms, and businesses. The company helps communities save energy, reduce their carbon footprint, and protect the planet.

“We know the real change begins with education and that’s where the Bright Eyes Programme comes in,” Ryan Keane, Ohk Energy Events manager, said, “We know kids are curious, but the level of enthusiasm was incredible, from the questions to the artwork, every classroom was buzzing with energy. This programme wasn’t just about education, it was about sparking inspiration.”

The judges said Kaitlyn’s entry, a robot mascot complete with a hard hat, stood out for its originality, message, and attention to detail. The prize for the win was sports equipment for the school and a solar panel system for her family home.

The young artist, who is also an accomplished violin player, enjoys drawing: “I draw all the time. I like drawing flowers and nature,” she said.

Trína Ní Nualláin, Leas Phríomhoide na Scoile, Gaelscoil an Choillín, spoke of the school’s delight with the win: “We were absolutely blown away by the achievement of Kaitlyn. She’s extremely talented.”

Trína said the ethos of the competition was one that appealed to Gaelscoil an Choillín: “We saw the competition advertised, and we applied for Ryan to come in to talk to the pupils about solar energy. As a green school, we are very aware of the importance of energy conservation. We were thrilled to be picked as one of the schools Ohk Energy visited.”

Following the workshops, the children created their artwork to enter the competition to win 10 solar panels: “I think all the children were really enthusiastic. It was very exciting.

“We were surprised when Kaitlyn won the regional final, and then to go on to win the national final, and such an amazing prize to win,” Trína said.

As part of the prize the school received a PE kit: “I think the staff are excited. It’s like Santy has arrived. There are lots of lovely bits and bobs for the school. Sports equipment, like beanbags, rugby balls, footballs, and hula hoops. Loads of little things that we’ll put to good use here.”

Trína says the Gaelscoil an Choillín pupil has a bright future: “We thank Kaitlyn for entering the competition and for winning. She’s after giving the school a huge prize, and we’re super proud of her.

“We’re definitely going to shout from the rooftops that we have a talented artist in our school. The sky’s the limit for Kaitlyn. It’s really exciting,” Trína concluded.