We are delighted to celebrate the fantastic achievement of our student, Lily Smite, who recently won the Communicator Award at the Technovation Ireland Regional Pitch Event (RPE), held at AMD CityWest in Dublin.
Lily impressed judges with her innovative mobile app, DOVElopment, which is designed to help users increase the diversity of plants in their diet. Her idea was inspired by a gap in everyday nutrition advice,while many people are familiar with guidelines like “5-a-day,” fewer know about the importance of eating a wide variety of plants each week.
DOVElopment is built around the recommendation of scientist Tim Spector, who encourages people to consume at least 30 different plant-based foods weekly to support gut health and overall wellbeing. The app includes:
- A daily plant checklist
- Suggestions encouraging users to try new foods
- A recipe video section where users can watch, save, and share ideas
During testing, users particularly enjoyed the interactive video feature, highlighting its uniqueness compared to other nutrition apps.
Lily developed her project through weekly online sessions with Teen-Turn, whose mentorship and support helped bring her idea from concept to completion. Technovation Ireland, supported locally by Teen-Turn, empowers young people to create technology solutions addressing real-world challenges.
This year’s competition saw 67 projects submitted from over 25 schools across nine counties, making Lily’s achievement even more impressive.
We are incredibly proud of Lily’s dedication, creativity, and hard work. Her success is a testament to the talent and innovation within our school community.
Congratulations, Lily!