Divert Your Stride from Suicide
Mount Mercy College, Cork, Co. Cork
Award:
Young Social Innovators of the Year Title Holders
Challenge:
Making Our World Healthier - Mental Health
This project aimed to promote awareness about the growing and tragic issue of suicide. The team aimed to break the silence around the issue and to encourage people to communicate openly about the subject. The students researched the issue using a variety of methods which included sourcing and reading articles on suicide prevention and inviting guest speakers to talk to the team and other students. They also carried out a survey in several different schools in the area to establish what people actually knew about suicide.
Missing Persons
Davis College, Mallow, Co. Cork
Award:
Young Social Innovators of the Year Silver Award Title Holders
Challenge:
Making Our World Safer
The aim of this project was to create awareness of missing persons in Ireland as the team felt that this was an issue that often gets overlooked or neglected.
Under the Influence
St. Declan’s Community College, Kilmacthomas, Co. Waterford
Award:
Young Social Innovators of the Year Title Holders
Challenge:
YSI Step-Up Challenge
This project was a Step-Up project which means that it was a continuation and development of a previous YSI project, the focus of which was on peer pressure on young drivers. In the summer of 2010 there were two multiple fatality car accidents that shocked the country and the YSI team in St. Declan’s Community College wondered how this could be avoided.
Actions Speak Out Louder than Words
Our Lady’s College, Drogheda, Co. Louth
Award:
YSI Challenge Title Holder
Challenge:
Making Our Country More Inclusive and Poverty Free Challenge
The team decided to focus on the topic of deafness after a team member shared the experience of her deaf cousin who has an adapted doorbell which alerts them to the presence of visitors by flashing lights. The group realised how little they knew about the difficulties faced by the deaf community and decided that they wanted to learn more.
Sow the Seed, Sit and Read
St. Paul’s Secondary School, Oughterard, Co. Galway
Award:
YSI Challenge Title Holder
Challenge:
Making Our World a Better Place for Young People Challenge
This project highlighted the importance of literacy among young people and the importance of parental involvement in instilling a lifelong love of reading in children, by educating them in the benefits of paired reading.
Youth Alive, Alert, Enthusiastic
Presentation College, Co. Carlow
Award:
YSI Challenge Title Holder
Challenge:
Making Our World One World Challenge
This project highlighted how HIV and AIDs affect young people in Ireland and Zambia and aimed to pass on the message of HIV/AIDS prevention to students and to stamp out the stigma associated with these illnesses. A quote from Kader Asmal embodies their work ‘In the absence of a cure, education is the social vaccine.’
Let’s Get Greener
Mercy College, Coolock, Co. Dublin
Award:
YSI Challenge Title Holder
Challenge:
Making Our World Greener Challenge
This project aimed to increase student awareness of recycling and reduce their school’s litter problem. The students studied newspaper articles on the topic, surveyed the students in their school to get their opinions on the litter problem and interviewed teachers on the issue
Smooth Cycling
Mercy Heights Secondary School, Skibbereen, Co. Cork
Award:
YSI Challenge Title Holder
Challenge:
Making Our World Safer Challenge
This project aimed to get the local community more involved in cycling and to secure more cycling facilities in Skibbereen, for example, bicycle stands for the public. The group also wanted to highlight the importance of safety while cycling, especially the importance of wearing a helmet and making drivers more aware of cyclists and their safety.
Reduce the Abuse
Loreto Convent, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
Award:
YSI Challenge Title Holder
Challenge:
Making Our World Fair and Just Challenge
This project highlighted the need to raise awareness about the issue of domestic abuse. The team used the internet and visited websites such as Childline and Barnardos.
C the Bright Side
Coláiste Muire, Ennis, Co. Clare
Award:
YSI Challenge Title Holder
Challenge:
Making Our World Healthier – Physical Health Challenge
The tragic passing of Ciara, a school friend of this team, due to cancer in May 2010, inspired this YSI class to celebrate and commemorate her life. They did this by designing a memorial garden in the school. This project also aimed to raise awareness about teenage cancer and raise money for CanTeen Ireland, an organisation which supports teenagers with cancer.
I Swing that Way?
St Columba’s Comprehensive School, Glenties, Co. Donegal
Award:
YSI Challenge Title Holder
Challenge:
Making Our World Healthier - Mental Health Challange
The students focused on the subject of homophobic bullying in secondary schools. Information was collected from Glen and BeLonG To websites, from equality documents, newspapers and magazines. The team also contacted an Advocacy Officer from BeLonG To and a Director in Donegal Youth Council.
Because of You
St. Angela’s College, Co. Cork
Award:
YSI Challenge Title Holder
Challenge:
Relationships and Sexual Health Challenge
The team wanted to promote positive relationships amongst teenagers and to demonstrate that all teenagers deserve to be treated well in a relationship. The aim was to raise awareness about abusive relationships and give people the courage to break away from unhealthy relationships.
I Need You
Presentation College, Tuam, Co. Galway
Award:
YSI Challenge Title Holder
Challenge:
Making Our Community Better Challenge
The team noticed that many voluntary organizations in the locality were suffering due to a lack of volunteers and simultaneously there were a large number of people unemployed. In order to match these two needs, they set up a Tuam Volunteer Centre.
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Hope Square
Presentation College, Tuam, Co. Galway
Award:
YSI Challenge Title Holder
Challenge:
YSI Step-Up Challenge
This was a continuation of the project ‘Bloom and Broom for Tuam’ 2009/2010 project, through which students greatly improved the appearance of Bishop Street in the town of Tuam. This year’s team wanted to expand the project further and continue improvements to their town. The team believes there is a strong connection between the physical appearance of a town and its commercial viability.