Young Social Innovators lets students make a difference, writes Louise Holden

Have you heard of YSI? Chances are you have: 5,500 students and young people have joined the network of Young Social Innovators in Ireland this year alone. Over the next few weeks we will be following the fortunes of the growing band of changemakers who are taking on the world from the classroom.

Young Social Innovators is one of Ireland's fastest-growing educational programmes for young people. It was set up by Sr Stanislaus Kennedy and Rachel Collier in 2000 to harness the creativity of young people to tackle stubborn social issues in Ireland and beyond.

Eight years on, 443 projects are running in 190 schools and youth centres. Groups of young people are taking on issues such as suicide, obesity, bullying, disadvantage and road safety in their communities and coming up with strategies for change.

The approach is simple. Each group takes a look at the society around them and identifies problems they would like to address. When the students have agreed on an issue, they research what the issue entails, who's involved, what the causes are and what potential solutions might be.

Each group is helped by a teacher or youth leader, who in turn is helped by the national YSI network, which provides in-service training, classroom guides and other supports.

"One of the reasons why the young social innovators get so fired up about their projects is that they have chosen the subjects themselves and researched them," says Collier, YSI's chief executive. "They become experts on their topic and become passionate in their efforts to communicate what they have learned to the wider public. Because the projects they choose reflect their own lives and values, they are usually of interest to the wider community, too: to the rest of the school, to their parents, to the local community, business and government. The actions that young social innovators take have a ripple effect through the community."

In February and March young social innovators communicate with the public through a series of Speak Out forums, where anyone can come and find out what social innovation is all about. Each group uses its talents to inform and entertain audiences.

This year is the biggest yet for Young Social Innovators; apart from the 5,500 young people involved, increasing numbers of businesses, community leaders, local government agencies and non-governmental organisations are getting involved, because the programme has such powerful potential. Over the next few weeks we'll be keeping an eye on YSI, so keep reading to find out what matters to TY students.

• Are you interested in trying your hand at social affairs journalism? Transition Times invites young social affairs reporters to write about the YSI Speak Outs. What did you see there; did a particular issue stand out for you? E-mail your reports to lholden@irish-times.ie and we'll publish our favourites in March. The forums are at Griffith College, Dublin (Jan 29), Ardilaun Hotel, Galway (Feb 7), Regency Airport Hotel, Dublin (Feb 19), Clarion Hotel, Sligo (Feb 21), Woodlands Hotel, Waterford (Feb 26), Fairways Hotel, Dundalk (Feb 28), City Hall, Cork (Mar 4) and Red Cow Moran Hotel, Dublin (Mar 6). See www.youngsocial innovators.ie