The Tranistion Year YSI group recently attended this years 'Speak Out '
YSI Speak Out Tour: Giving Youth a Voice
The YSI Speak Out Tour is an annual celebration of youth voice and innovation, taking place throughout March each year. This high-energy, inspirational event gives young people the opportunity to showcase their projects, share their ideas, and advocate for change on the issues that matter most to them. With hundreds of teenagers attending each Speak Out event, students present their projects to their peers, invited guests, and a YSI Panel, ensuring their voices are heard and their concerns are addressed.
The 2024 Speak Out Tour was an incredible success, with 3,411 young people pitching their inspirational ideas across 11 events in five locations nationwide. Each Speak Out brought together around 20 project teams who creatively presented their visions for social change, tackling issues such as health, inclusion, equality, climate action, sustainability, community development, and justice.
Our YSI group were invited to present at the Tom Leddy Theatre in Drogheda. These Speak Out events provide an important platform for young people, many of whom will be presenting on stage for the first time. Teams are given just two minutes to creatively communicate their issue of concern, why it is important, the changes they want to see, and the actions they have taken to bring about positive change in their communities.
TY Students Representing Our School
We are incredibly proud of our Transition Year students, who participated in the YSI Speak Out event at the Tom Leddy Theatre in Drogheda. Supported by Ms. Connolly, these students worked hard to develop and present their projects, demonstrating their passion and commitment to making a difference.
Their project, titled 'Vape Free Future', was presented on stage . At the end of the event, an impromptu panel discussion—never done before!—took place, and three of our students, Liam, Daniel, and Harry, volunteered to be a part of it. They spoke exceptionally well, demonstrating their confidence and knowledge on the topic.
The project will be assessed based on a written report that the entire class engaged with, as well as their Speak Out presentation, which will be evaluated by the three judges who adjudicated the event. We hope to receive the results next month.
Collaboration with Planet Youth
The YSI project was also created in conjunction with the Planet Youth TY programme. As part of this, students met with programme coordinator David Creed and recently presented their work to their peers in Lusk Community College. Building on this and last year's YSI project (The SleepRight Initiative), David has invited Ms. Connolly and two representative students—one from this year’s YSI project and one from last year’s—to attend the annual Planet Youth Conference on Wednesday, April 2nd, in RCSI St. Stephen’s Green. There, they will share their learning experiences with a wider audience. This is a huge opportunity for our students and an incredible platform for our school!
Ms Connolly was also on stage to accept her award for a student driven competition which seeks to reward the YSI Guides. The YSI team sent in this response 'Our YSI Guide is the most inspiring because she taught us how to step out of our comfort zone and use our skills to do our project. She taught us how to properly present our project, how to demonstrate our strengths and knowledge. We are very grateful for Ms. Connolly's support.' Well done Ms Connolly.
Our YSI Representatives:
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Belevics, Darren
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Bierca, Daniel
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Dan, Stephanie Cherish
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Duffy, Adam
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Gibbons, Liam
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Goold, Christian
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Holden Bobbett, Harry
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Jackson, Matthew
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McGuinness, Aisling
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Mohammed, Zaynab
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Murphy, Ava
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Murphy, Erin
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Pawelek, Mateusz
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Stankowska, Sandra
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Weldon Wallender, Thomas
Congratulations to all the students who took part, and thank you to Ms. Connolly for her support. The YSI Speak Out Tour continues to be an inspiring event that empowers young people to make a real impact in their communities. We look forward to seeing more innovative ideas and passionate voices in 2025!
