04 March 2015

Students get set to Speak Out!

TV3's Elaine Crowley launches the Young Social Innovators Speak Out National Tour

TV3’s Elaine Crowley and students from Donahies Secondary School, Donaghmede today launched the Young Social Innovators (YSI) ‘Speak Out’ Tour which will run nationwide from Thursday March 5th to Thursday March 26th as part of the YSI 'Social Innovation Action Programme'.

6,500 teenagers from across Ireland will speak out on the social issues they are tackling in innovative and inspiring ways. Health, homelessness, domestic violence, LGBT rights, disability, community and bullying are just some of the issues that these young social innovators will addressthroughout the month of March.

Young Social Innovators is a non-profit organisation that believes in the power of youth. Through its programmes, training and events, Young Social Innovators enables young people to grapple with difficult social issues, advocating reform and advancing change. Each year, thousands of young people are supported to explore social issues that concern them and come up with a variety of responses to these. In this way, Young Social Innovators builds social capital and helps young people create a fairer and more caring Ireland. For more information visit www.youngsocialinnovators.ie

YSI’s official partner is the Vodafone Ireland Foundation. The organisation is also supported by its lead public partner, the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. Other sponsor partners include the Health Service Executive, Irish Aid’s WorldWise Global Schools, the Departments of Children and Youth Affairs, Education and Skills, the HSE, as well as the Crisis Pregnancy Programme and Department of Social Protection. Further support is received from National Toll Roads Foundation, AbbVie Ltd, Sierra Support Services Group and Mason, Hayes and Curran.

Pictured at the launch are: Elaine Crowley, TV3 and Jordan Farrell, Adam McDonald, Jason Yeats, Tomike Jinad from Donahies Secondary School.

SPEAK OUT Event Schedule:

5th March: Royal Theatre, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, 11am

10th March: Cork City Hall, 11am

11th March: Cork City Hall 9.30am and 1.00pm

12th March: Lime Tree Theatre, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick 9.30am and 1.00pm

18th March: Round Room, Mansion House, Dublin City, 9.30am and 1.00pm

19th March: Lyrath Estate Convention Centre, Kilkenny 9.30am and 1.00pm

23rd March: Astra Hall, UCD Student Centre, Dublin, 11.00am

24th March: TLT Concert Hall, Drogheda, Co. Louth, 11.00am

25th March: Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, 9.30am and 1.00pm

26th March: Waterside Theatre, Derry 11.00am