PRESS RELEASE

6th May 2015, Largy College from Monaghan has been named Young Social Innovators of the Year 2015 at Citywest Hotel and Convention Centre, Dublin, today for their project LGBT-Lets’s Get By Together. The Young Social Innovators of the Year 2015  tackled discrimination against the LGBT community, including homophobia and transphobia, and worked to create a safe environment for LGBT students and staff in their school.414 youth led social innovation projects were created by young people all over Ireland this year with 60 selected to go forward for the prestigious title and awards.

The Young Social Innovators of the Year 2015 Awards, held in partnership with Vodafone Ireland Foundation, is the biggest celebration of social innovation in Ireland and one of the largest youth events in the country with over 5,000 young people, all of whom have been involved in creating positive change through social innovation projects, attending today. As well as the overall award,  25 other schools from across the country were named as category winners and received beautiful new awards designed by John Rocha for Young Social Innovators. The categories included Making Our World a Better Place for Young People; Making Our World One World; Relationships & Sexual Health Challenge; Making Our World Safer; Making Our Country More Inclusive & Poverty Free; Step Up Challenge; Making Our Community Better; Making Our World Healthier - Mental Health; Making Our World Healthier - Physical Health; Making Our World Greener. (Full list of award winners listed below).

Accepting the overall title award the winning team said, “Being named as Young Social Innovators of the Year is such a huge honour and we are absolutely delighted. Our project, LGBT- Let’s Get By Together, is something we care so deeply about and we are absolutely thrilled to have won this award. Being involved in Young Social Innovators has been a life-changing experience for us. It has shown us the power that we, as young people, have to make real and lasting change in our own communities and wider society. To have our project recognised at a national level is so fantastic for us and our school. We won’t be stopping here and plan to achieve even greater impact with this project.

The awards are judged by independent panels from the education, youth, statutory and corporate sectors and when choosing the overall title award the judges looked for a project which excelled in innovative thinking, social impact as well as recognizing a team which has the passion and support to continue to further develop their social innovation.

At the Awards Sr Stanislaus Kennedy, Co-founder of YSI, said “It is hard for young people to access power in Ireland or even to know where to start. Many young people here today are politicised, they take their community and society seriously. They want to contribute and are doing amazing and innovative things to help their communities. They bring to reality the type of society they want to live in and are an inspiration to us all.  Our democracy needs to be more participatory.”

Speaking about the Young Social Innovators 2015 Awards, Rachel Collier, Co-Founder & CEO, Young Social Innovators (YSI) said, “The Young Social Innovators of the Year 2015 showcases the power of youth and their ability to respond positively to some deep-rooted problems in society today. YSI brings social innovation tools and learning to 25,000 young people each year. We are harnessing youth power and creating a generation who believe they can make change because they are actually doing it! They are engaged in community’s right around Ireland and are developing innovative responses to the needs they find there. Every country today wants innovators, and Ireland is building that generation now. Largy College was chosen as our national winners because of the extremely creative and innovative way in which they have addressed this issue and because of the strong social impact they have managed to make.”

Rachel Collier continued, “The standard of projects this year was truly exceptional and there were a number of stand-out projects which have had a significant and lasting impact at community level. The judging panel and I would also like to commend all of the shortlisted finalists and all of the participants for their exemplary work.  We are amazed each year by the creative and innovative projects presented by such talented and passionate young people.”

The Young Social Innovators of the Year 2015 Awards and Showcase is a fun day for all with opportunities for attendees to get involved in indoor and outdoor activities such as exhibitions towards creating a better world, a Poster Gallery, game zones, dance workshops, silent discos and interactive activities and is supported by YSI’s official partner, the Vodafone Ireland Foundation.

Speaking about the partnership, Ray Collins, Director of the Vodafone Ireland Foundation, said “We are extremely proud to be the Official Partner of Young Social Innovators and to be part of such an important day. The projects were of an exceptional standard this year and demonstrated the creativity and determination of our country’s young people in contributing to a better future. We have worked hand in hand with YSI over the past 3 years, committing our people, brand, technology and funding towards achieving our joint goal of 100,000 young social innovators by the end of the year”

Winners

Young Social Innovators of the Year 2015 – Gold Award

Project: LGBT – Let’s Get By Together
Org: Largy College, Clones, Monaghan
Guide: Sascha Comiskey

Silver Award

Project: Without Your Brain, You Have No Game – Step Up
Org: Cashel Community School, Cashel, Co. Tipperary
Guide: Caitriona Ryan

Bronze Award

Project: Blind Consumption
Org: Schull Community College, Schull, Co. Cork
Guide: Carol hurley

Social Media Award

Project: Stop Trafficking of People… Stopping This Ongoing Problem!! S.T.O.P.
Org: St. Mary’s Secondary School, Mallow
Guide: Donna Lyons

YSI Funraising Award

Project: REALationships
Org: St. Angela’s College, Cork
Guide: Shelly Whelan

Mobile for Good Award

Project: Is the School Around the Corner just The Same?
Org: Mercy Secondary School, Goldenbridge, Inchicore, Dublin 8
Guide: Catherine Kelly

Social Entrepreneurs Award

Project: Farm Sense
Org: C.B.S. Thurles, Thurles, Co. Tipperary
Guide: Fergus O’Brien

Making Our Community Better

Project: Hunger for Health
Org: Tullamore College, Tullamore, Co. Offaly
Guide: Emma Coyne

Making Our Community Better – HIGHLY COMMENDED

Project: Community Unity
Org: Loreto Convent, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
Guide: Dearbhail Keys

Making Our World One World

Project: Global Citizen – Mapping the Future
Org: Portmarnock Community School, Portmarnock, Co. Dublin
Guide: Niall Fitzgerald and Colette Cronin

Making Our World Greener

Project: The Plastic Purge
Org: St. Mary’s Secondary School, Irishtown, New Ross
Guide: Aoife Traynor

Making Our World a Better Place for Young People

Project: Lean On Me
Org: Our Lady of Lourdes Secondary School, New Ross, Co. Wexford
Guide: Catherine Moran

Making Our World a Better Place for Young People – HIGHLY COMMENDED

Project: Is the School Around the Corner Just the Same?
Org: Mercy Secondary School, Inchicore, Dublin 8
Guide: Catherine Kelly

Making Our World More Inclusive & Poverty Free

Project:  Disability Accessibility
Org: Beara Community School, Beara, Co. Cork
Guide: Catriona Murphy

Making Our World Safer

Project: Farm Sense
Org: C.B.S. Thurles, Thurles, Co. Tipperary
Guide: Fergus O’Brien

Making Our World Healthier – Mental Health

Project: Mind your Mind
Org: Youthreach City of Galway, Tuam Road, Co. Galway
Guide: Jaki Mitchell

Making Our World Healthier – Physical Well Being

Project: Are You My Type?
Org: Beara Community School, Beara, Co. Cork
Guide: Marie Murphy

Making Our World Fair & Just

Project: Turn on the Flood Rights
Org: Ursuline Secondary School, Co. Tipperary
Guide: Annette Flanagan

YSI Step Up Award

Project: Stop Trafficking of People… Stopping this Ongoing Problem!! S.T.O.P.
Org: St. Mary’s Secondary School, Mallow, Co. Cork
Guide: Donna Lyons

Relationships & Sexual Health Challenge

Project: REALationships
Org: St. Angela’s College, Cork
Guide: Shelly Whelan

Poster Awards – Overall Winner

Project: Live Equal, Play Equal
Org: Sacred Heart Secondary School, Daingean Road, Tullamore, Co. Offaly
Guide: Niamh McEnhill

Poster Awards – People’s Choice

Project: LorPeto Animal Welfare
Org: Loreto Convent, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
Guide: Siobhan Bradley

Poster Awards – Creativity

Project Title: Homelessness – A Growing Concern in Our Country
School: Holy Rosary College, Mountbellew, Co. Galway
Guide:   Mary Gibbons

Poster Awards – Most Innovative

Project Title: Something Catchy
School: Good Counsel College, New Ross, Co. Wexford
Guide: Karen Byrne

Poster Awards – Communication of Message

Project Title: Heroin in Our Area (Cork City)
School: Youthreach, c/o Terence McSwiney Community College, Knocknaheeny, Co. Cork
Guide: Anne Murphy

Poster Awards - Highly Commended

Project Title: Headucate Yourself
School: Good Counsel College, New Ross, Co. Wexford
Guide: Gary Chappell

For more information about Young Social Innovators or the 2015 Awards and Showcase, please visit www.youngsocialinnovators.ie

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