Local students 'Speak Out' at Young Social Innovators event

Students from Dundalk, Ardee and Carrickmacross were among the 500 participants that descended on the TLT Theatre in Drogheda on Tuesday (March 13th) for the Young Social Innovators Speak Out Tour. 

The tour, which will visit 8 counties throughout February and March, is part of the Young Social Innovators of the Year Ireland Awards which challenge young people to think differently and come up with ways to tackle social issues affecting them and their communities.

De La Salle College Dundalk (pictured above), Ardee YouthReach, Patrician High School Carrickmacross and St Louis Secondary School Carrickmacross all sent delegations of students to the event - just a fraction of the 400 teams comprising of 7,000 students that are taking part in the YSI programme.

Of these teams, 30 will be shortlisted to compete for the national title of Young Social Innovators of the Year at a ceremony at Dublin's Croke Park onMay 8th 2018. 

Each team were asked to make a two minute presentation on stage, with each touching on a wide range of social issues including domestic abuse, mental health, farm safety, cyber bullying, homelessness and disability.

The team from Ardee YouthReach, the LMETB run Centre of Education which caters for early school leavers aged 15 - 2, gave a talk on homelessness (below). 

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Youthreach students from St Mary's GAA grounds, Ardee speaking out on homelessness @ThisIsArdee #ubysi pic.twitter.com/JI8QtSJlpE

— YSI (@YSInow) March 13, 2018

Social innovations address human need such as homelessness, poverty, exclusion, racism and immigration – issues high on the social and political agenda in Ireland and across the world today. The Speak Out Tour gives these young people the opportunity to advocate around such issues and demonstrate how they are coming up with responses and solutions to real life issues.