YSI Fact Sheet

Last up-dated: 2nd March 2012

Young Social Innovators was co-founded by Sr Stanislaus Kennedy and Rachel Collier to develop social awareness and activism amongst young people so that they might become effective champions for social justice no matter what career path they choose. The organization promotes education for social innovation as a real way we can build social capital in Ireland.

Its vision is simple:
To fire young peoples’ passion to change the world for good.

Young Social Innovators has two major programmes: its Social Innovation and the Centres of Social Innovators Programmes. The first is a youth-led, action based Social Innovation Programme which allows young people (15 – 18) to explore an issue that concerns them and take action to find an innovative response. Over 35,000 young people have taken part in YSI since 2001. Any group of young people from any educational setting can take part.

The programme is primarily, but not exclusively based in second level schools.  It involves young people tackling a social issue that matters to them and which they believe they could help to change. This issue could affect their school, community, locality or Ireland in general. Applying the now established 4 c’s of social innovation, developed by Young Social Innovators, and working in teams, participants study the issue, identify innovative ways of improving or solving it and, where they can, they put their ideas into action.

Growing numbers of Youthreach, youth services and other education centres are also taking part. Evidence shows that this programme succeeds in engaging young people in their local community and suits all abilities and environments.

YSI defines Social Innovation as the practice of using creativity to develop solutions which improve the well-being of people and society. Such practice promotes collaborative action and learning, which creates new ways of addressing social need. It is not only concerned with delivering a new outcome but about the process of arriving at that outcome. Social innovation is informed and characterized by values of empowerment, fairness and well-being.

The organisation’s second major programme is called “The Centres of Social Innovators Programme” and aims to help develop a whole centre approach to social innovation education with two particular aims in mind: to increase the numbers and the opportunities for young people to get involved in social innovation. This is not just undertaking a once off project, but practicing and getting better at innovating change for the good of their community.

Over 35,000 students have participated in Young Social Innovators since it began as a pilot programme in the Dublin area in 2002. In that time they have tackled a diverse range of issues including justice, democracy, citizenship, community, environment, welfare and ‘one world’. They have helped to establish youth cafés, developed peer education programmes, bought equipment for their schools and communities and campaigned and implemented award-winning programmes on issues such as mental health, road safety, bullying, alcohol abuse and much more.

In its first year 11 schools participated with 158 students undertaking 16 projects. In 2011, 5,500 young people undertook some 350 social action projects throughout Ireland.  Every young person taking part receives a Certificate for their work.

The programme hosts regional events called Speak Outs for young social innovators each year in March. These local events provide the young people with a platform to present the social issues in a creative way to an invited audience of community leaders, local representatives and influencers in business, social, voluntary, community services and a YSI Panel.

The year culminates each May with the Annual Young Social Innovators Showcase which involves the selection for the title “Young Social Innovators of the Year”. Other initiatives include The Social Innovation Fund; the YSI Alumni and Internship programmes.

YSI’s Patrons include former Irish rugby international Denis Hickie, John O’Shea of Manchester United and Ireland, Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and singer, Sharon Corr.

Young Social Innovators is supported primarily by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government.  Additional support is received from the Department of Education and Skills, the Health Service Executive, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, and Irish Aid.  Other partners include the Irish Sisters of Charity, the Department of Social Protection and the HSE Crisis Pregnancy Programme. 

Young Social Innovators is located at 3 Dawson Street, Dublin 2.
Tel: + 353 1 6458030
www.youngsocialinnovators.org