Students honoured at Young Social Innovators of the Year Awards event

STUDENTS from Firhouse Educate Together Secondary School and Collinstown Park Community College were among the winners at the Young Social Innovators (YSI) of the Year Awards, which took place in Croke Park on Tuesday, May 2.

The YSI awards celebrate excellence in youth-led social innovation. The overall winner of the Gold title went to a team of young people from Holy Family School for the Deaf, Cabra for their high-impact social innovation project.

The overall Bronze YSI award was won by Firhouse Educate Together Secondary School. Their YSI project, titled ‘Women’s Safety Week’, is aimed at promoting women’s safety in the community, including through the idea for a nationwide Women’s Safety Week.

Now in their twenty-second year, this year’s national finals event was the first live, in-person Young Social Innovators of the Year Awards since 2019.

The awards ceremony was co-presented by broadcaster Zara King and former Hometown boyband member Dayl Cronin, in front of an audience of around 600 young people from secondary schools the length and breadth of the country.

Thirty-four teams of shortlisted Senior Cycle students, including teams from Dublin, competed live in a range of challenges in front of three expert judging panels.

Students from Firhouse Educate Together secured a bronze medal

Other awards were presented, too, and the Global Citizens Award, in partnership with Irish Aid’s WorldWise Global Schools, was won by Collinstown Park Community College, Clondalkin for their ‘Out with the Old, In with the New’ project.

This project promotes the upcycling of pre-loved clothing through a school swap shop initiative.

Commenting at the Young Social Innovators of the Year Awards, CEO of YSI, Roger Warnock, said: “More than 5,000 young people from all over Ireland got involved in social innovation projects with Young Social Innovators in 2023.

“Today’s event is the culmination of all of their innovative efforts to bring about inspiring change in their local communities, the length and breadth of Ireland.

“It was fantastic to be able to gather together in-person to celebrate at this year’s awards’ finals and I would like to congratulate the winning teams, including those from Dublin. I was blown away by these young people’s ideas, bravery and creativity.

“Their projects are proof that change is possible and that young people have the power to make a difference.”

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