Earlier this month, 710 students from across Kilkenny, Kildare, Laois, Clare, Carlow, Offaly, Tipperary, Westmeath, Wexford and Waterford took part in the Young Social Innovators (YSI) Speak Out Tour, presenting innovative projects aimed at tackling pressing local and national issues.
YSI is Ireland’s leading youth-led social innovation education programme, empowering young people to develop solutions to social, environmental, and community challenges. Since its inception in 2001, YSI has engaged thousands of young people in meaningful, action-driven initiatives that have left a lasting impact nationwide.
This particular showcase, called the Speak Out Tour, gave students the opportunity to share what their teams have been working on throughout the year through creative speeches or performances.
Each team delivered a two-minute presentation, sharing their research, action taken to tackle the social issue, lived experiences, and calls to action with a live audience and the YSI Speak Out Panel.
The students addressed themes including body image and eating habits, the environmental impact of pollution and fast fashion, and concerns around energy drink consumption among young people.
Teams also examined online gaming, gambling awareness, and discrimination.
YSI Team ‘Screen Time Crime’ – Mea´nscoil Gharman, Enniscorthy.
Community-focused projects explored gender balance in sport, the lack of town facilities for young people, and broader social inequalities. Their presentations reflected a strong awareness of both global issues and the day-to-day realities facing young people in their own communities.
This included a group of students from Meanscoil Gharman, Enniscorthy who made a big impact with their project showcase.
Entitled ‘Screen Time Crime’ the students highlighted the dangers of social media using colourfully painted masks to represent countries, social media apps, and An Garda Síochána.
Sara Thompson, Marketing and Communications Manager at YSI said that they were impressed by the high standard of work displayed by the groups.
“The energy and depth of discussion at the Kilkenny event highlighted the leadership potential of young people determined to make meaningful change,” she said.
