IT IS vital that we educate and empower young people to become leaders on social issues, said Sr Stanislaus Kennedy, co-founder and chairwoman of Young Social Innovators. She was speaking at the launch yesterday of a new three -year education programme to encourage innovation in young people.
The partnership between Young Social Innovators Ireland and Vodafone Ireland Foundation aims to provide young people with the tools and knowledge to become engaged in social change.
The current programme is open to 15-18 year olds and aims to empower young people in schools and youth groups across the country to identify and create solutions to social problems in their communities. This year Vodafone Ireland Foundation will invest over €400,000 in the programme.
“It’s currently in half the secondary schools in Ireland through TY year and kids doing it get into teams of about 10, decide the issue they want to get involved in and work together to tackle it over the school year,” said Niamh Hodgess of the foundation. The joint venture aims to engage over 100,000 young social entrepreneurs and be available to all young people from the ages of 15-24 by 2015.
Sr Stanislaus said, “I think young people are the ones who will pull us out of this situation and, if they get educated at a young age and if you learn at a young age about social issues of concern in society, you’ll carry that all your life.”
A Navan-based Youth Reach programme where early school leavers can access education ran the Young Social Innovators model last year.
“Our campaign was to do with negative teenage image which was important to our guys because they weren’t happy the way people looked at them and the fact they’re not in mainstream school meant they can feel more excluded,” said facilitator Paula Burns.
“One charity we fundraised for was Meath Fire Rescue and we bag-packed which raised €1,000 and then people from the charity came in and talked about the work they do.”