Galway’s Young Social Innovators came together to talk about the challenges facing society today, and to highlight what young people can do to tackle them, at a Speak Out event in Ballinasloe this week.
Young Social Innovators is an organisation that brings together young people and educators that aims to promote education for social innovation.
The Speak Out Tour 2019 is a chance for young people to be heard about the social issues that are a concern to them ahead of the YSI Innovators of the Year Awards taking place in May.
At the Shearwater Hotel in Ballinasloe this week Galway’s young people discussed issues such as homelessness, equality, environmental issues, and the effects of social media that have a direct impact on their lives.
Taking part in the Galway event were students from Presentation College, Tuam; East Galway Youth Project Group; Garbally College, Ballinasloe and Dominican College, Galway and more.
Galway East TD Seán Canney, who attended the event in Ballinasloe, said that it was “inspiring to see teams of young people coming together to work on projects that promote active citizenship and social innovation.”
He added that it was refreshing to see projects like #TellYourTD that “encourage engagement with the political process”.
YSI began as a pilot programme created by Sr Stanislaus Kennedy in 2001 to look at emerging social needs in Ireland and how to respond to them.
It was set up as a company in 2005 and is supported by my Department, the Department for Rural and Community Development, as well as other public bodies and private sponsors.
