We’re excited to announce the 2025-2026 shortlist for our Mission Possible school achievement awards.
Nine primary school, secondary school and Further Education and Training (FET) centres (including Youthreach) from across Ireland have been shortlisted in our Walk in My Shoes (WIMS) Mission Possible school achievement awards.
A record number of entries
These annual awards celebrate the incredible role schools and educators play in promoting positive mental health, highlighting their incredible work around awareness-raising activities. We received almost 200 entries this year, a record number of entries to the awards since its inception in 2017.
Conversations sparked by creativity
Launched in February of this year, the 2025-2026 competition tasked students and learners to design a poster that creatively shared a positive mental health message using art, words, and imagination. In taking part, young people and school communities explored what positive mental health and wellbeing means to them.
Judging process
Our judges, Paul Gilligan, Chief Executive Officer of St Patrick’s Mental Health Services (SPMHS), Tamara Nolan, Director of Communications and Advocacy at SPMHS, and Jacqueline Toal, Art Therapist at SPMHS, shortlisted nine schools and centres across three categories to proceed to the next stage of the competition. They scored each entry across four areas including clear communication of a mental health message, creativity and originality, visual design, and overall impact.
2025-2026 Mission Possible shortlist
You can find all the shortlisted entries in the three categories below.
Primary school category
Your Mental Wellbeing Matters submitted by Lucy aged 11, Shanbally National School, Ringaskiddy, County Cork
I'm more than enough submitted by Muireann, aged 13, Drumlease National School, Dromahair, County Leitrim
Breaking free submitted by Sophia aged 11, Scoil Naomh Áine, New Road, Brideswell Commons, Dublin 22.
Secondary school category
Unwind submitted by Ari aged 15, Bunclody Community College, Irish St, Bunclody, County Wexford
A garden inside my head submitted by Vega aged 15, Ursuline Secondary School, Thurles, County Tipperary
Wellness submitted by Catherine aged 14, St Louis Secondary School, Castletown Road, Dundalk, County Louth.
FET and Youthreach Centres category
Hope submitted by Holly aged 16, Leitrim Youthreach, Building C, Drumshanbo Enterprise Centre, County Leitrim
Language submitted by Alisha aged 18, Leitrim Youthreach, Building C, Drumshanbo Enterprise Centre, County Leitrim
There is always light at the end of the tunnel submitted by Alisha aged 16, Youthreach Clara, Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board Clara, The Convent, Clara GAA Grounds, Kilbeggan Road, Clara, County Offaly.
Awards ceremony and prizes
Those shortlisted have been invited to a special awards ceremony and display of the shortlisted posters in St Patrick’s University Hospital in April 2026, where the winners and runners-up will be announced.
First-place winners in each category will receive a:
- €1,000 cash prize
- Mission Possible Trophy
- Role as a WIMS School Ambassador for the 2026/27 academic year
- WIMS School Support Package.
- One guaranteed place on our Transition Year Programme in 2025/26 will be awarded to the secondary school winner.
Runners-up will receive a:
- €500 cash prize
- Mission Possible Trophy
- WIMS Wellbeing Pack.
All teachers and school staff that took will be entered into a draw to win a €250 One4All voucher, the winner will be announced at the awards ceremony in April.
Creatively promoting positive mental health
WIMS Campaign Manager, Amanda McArdle, says
“We’re absolutely delighted by the fantastic response to Mission Possible this year. With the move to a poster format, it was wonderful to see just how creative and imaginative the students can be. A huge thank you to all the teachers and students who got involved and made it such a success".
We thank and congratulate all those that took part and look forward to sharing more on the competition winners and runners-up after the awards ceremony.
