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Meet the YSI Guide: Colette Owens

Colette is a YSI Guide in Bush Post Primary School, Dundalk, Co. Louth and is the second subject in our new series of Meet the YSI Guide articles promoting and amplifying the work of dedicated educators who help facilitate thousands of young people through youth-led social innovation education around Ireland every year.

Please tell us a little bit about your Young Social Innovators experience and the young people you have guided?
My Young Social Innovators experience as a YSI Guide has been an amazing and positive experience. This was my first year guiding a group through the programme and initially I was quite unfamiliar with how it worked and what was required of me as their YSI Guide. But once I went through September training I had such a clear overview of the programme and what was required of me and the overall role of the YSI Guide which is to allow for youth-led social innovation to take place in and outside of the classroom with my students.

I think allowing the students the autonomy to choose an issue that affects them and their world makes for an interesting experience where students stay engaged throughout the year.

What impact has Young Social Innovators had on you personally? 
Guiding a YSI Team through the programme allows for a completely different way of teaching. First of all, it helps you build a great rapport with the students as you’re getting to know the students on a different level. Discovering their individual skills and particular areas where they shine has been wonderful to experience.

Young Social Innovators has also built my own confidence as an educator in the classroom and I know that the experience I have gained this year will benefit my teaching skills in other subjects and extracurricular areas. 

I loved being involved in Young Social Innovators this year. It's a busy year but it is something I will definitely recommend to other teachers in my school and beyond. 


Colette (far right) pictured with Minister Canney and YSI CEO, Rachel Collier, following the annoucement that her YSI team 'Let's Talk About Consent' were the overall Gold Award Winners of Young Social Innovators 2019.

Why is social innovation education important for young people? 
As an English teacher I can see the students using some of the skills they have learned through Junior Cycle being put into practice in Young Social Innovators. For example, students now have to participate in an oral presentation as part of English oral assessment and learning particular techniques during this assessment has really benefited the students taking part in the Speakout Tour, the YSI Den and on to the Young Social Innovators of the Year Ireland Awards.

The students are engaging in teamwork and group work, lobbying politicians, writing formal emails, creating displays, presenting and pitching and so much more. The skills they are learning during Young Social Innovators are transferable to many different areas and skills that will in no doubt, benefit them in potential future careers too. 

What advice would you give to other teachers who are thinking about doing Young Social Innovators?
I would definitely recommend Young Social Innovators to other teachers with all kinds of backgrounds. It is a busy but rewarding year. After December there is a lot that happens in the YSI calendar so I would advise YSI Guides to get your teams to do a lot of ground work before January. I would also advise my fellow YSI Guides to attend training in September and January as this is the best way to learn all about the programme and to help their teams prepare for and excel on stage during the Speak Out Tour.

Final golden nugget or pearl of wisdom?
I think Young Social Innovators is a very professional run programme that places young people at the centre. The YSI Learning and Practice Support Team are great and will respond to any issue, question or concern quickly and practically. Overall Young Social Innovators has been a great experience for me as a YSI Guide and an even better experience for my students who took part this year.

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This interview has been edited and condensed.

The students are engaging in teamwork and group work, lobbying politicians, writing formal emails, creating displays, presenting and pitching and so much more. The skills they are learning during Young Social Innovators are transferable to many different areas and skills that will in no doubt, benefit them in potential future careers too. 

Colette Owens, YSI Guide