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Young Social Innovators in Scoil Phobail Bhéara
Young Social Innovators (YSI) is a Transition Year programme which aims to make our students more socially aware. Transition Year is the ideal time for students to participate in this programme. YSI takes place during three timetabled class periods every week. Participation on the programme is compulsory. At the beginning of the school year, students involved in YSI discuss debate and finally agree on a social issue which they feel needs to be addressed. There is a wide variety of issues which can be tackled ranging from homelessness to mental health. Once a project has been agreed on, the students set about researching the topic and deciding on how best to address the chosen issue. The students form a number of committees and use their own particular talents in raising awareness of the chosen issue. The students can respond to the issue in myriad ways including fund-raising, film-making, presentations, awareness talks and even through social media. The aim of the YSI project is to raise awareness of the chosen topic and to bring about change in the lives of those affected by the issue. The students complete a written report by February outlining how they tackled their selected issue. Once the report has been submitted, the students prepare to attend the YSI “Speak Out”. This is an enjoyable event where students from all over the country showcase their selected project. If successful, the project is then selected for “Showcase” which provides students with yet another forum in which they can delineate their project aims. The Young Social Innovators encourages, motivates and creates new opportunities for young people to actively participate in the world around them. The programme is dedicated to building social capital in Ireland by way of promoting the education and practice of social innovation in Ireland. It enables young people to grapple with difficult social issues, advocating reform and advancing change. Each year, thousands of young people are supported and nurtured in working together researching and presenting projects on social issues and concerns in Ireland. Young Social Innovators fires young peoples’ passion to change the world for good by working to develop young people as practicing social innovators in Ireland so that they develop their innate sense of justice, responsibility and capacity – thereby enabling and encouraging them to participate in creating a fairer, more caring & equal society. |
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Brief Outline of Structure
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