Young social innovators real dragons
They were the fiercest of this year’s Young Social Innovators – 6,000 students who had gathered in Croke Park for the awards ceremony.
The top award was won by transition year students from Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál, Blarney, Co Cork, for their new youth cafe that will open in September.
Judges described the cafe as an “exceptional project” delivered with great drive and ambition.
Runners-up were Mercy Secondary School, Tralee, Co Kerry, for their mental health project entitled Emotion Promotion.
Chair of the judging panel Jackie Harrison was particularly impressed by the Kerry’s students’ wall of happiness in the school that gave a valuable insight into what made students happy.
“Every school should have a wall of happiness,” she declared when the awards were presented.
Third place went to St Mary’s Secondary School, New Ross, Co Kilkenny, for their project It’s Only Fair, on turning New Ross into a fair trade town.
Around 30,000 students have participated in Young Social Innovators since the event began in 2002.
This year 400 social action projects were undertaken with young people tackling social issues of concern to them and implementing solutions where possible.
A total of 60 projects were shortlisted for yesterday’s showcase event.
Young Social Innovators chairwoman and co-founder, Sr Stanislaus Kennedy, said the young people offered great hope for the future.
Youth-related issues, such as youth facilities, teenage mental health, bullying and substance abuse continue to feature prominently among the project themes.
There was, however, a noticeable increase in recession-related projects, with teenagers looking at ways of combating the effects of the economic downturn on young people and the wider community.
Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál project leader Alannah Denny said students at first began working on establishing the Mill Youth Cafe in Blarney eight months ago. She pointed out that parents would supervise the facility on a rota basis.
Judges said the Kerry students had forged excellent partnerships, particularly with Foroige, the national youth development organisation. The students’ teacher, Michelle Corcoran, said she was thrilled for her students.
“They were the best team to work with. There were just so enthusiastic about the project and worked tirelessly on it,” she said.
Chief executive and co-founder of Young Social Innovators Rachel Collier said the programme, funded through state and private sponsorship, had grown to a stage where there were projects in every county and they were now looking at how it could expand into every community.
“Direct involvement in action is the best way to learn about social justice and human rights and the role every person can play,” she said.
