Young Social Innovators

At sixteen, Dervla Flanagan found her voice through YSI. Today, she’s helping other young people find theirs. What a lovely full-circle moment. 💛

In 2021, as a Transition Year student at Largy College, Dervla and her team created RACE (Right Attitude Creates Equality) to tackle racism and discrimination in their community in Clones. Their project sparked conversations, celebrated different cultures and created space for people to share their experiences through a podcast and their cookbook, A Taste of Humanity.

Five years later, Dervla is in her final year studying International Relations at University of Warsaw, inspired in part by the questions and experiences that began during her YSI journey. She has also returned to YSI as a Marketing Intern, becoming part of the team that once gave her the confidence to speak up and make change happen.

And her voice is continuing to reach further. Dervla is a Youth Advisory Group member for the Irish Presidency, where she will join young people from across Europe to discuss the issues that matter to them and bring their perspectives to political decision-makers.

There’s something incredibly special about seeing a young person who once needed someone to believe in their idea become someone who can now help other young people believe in theirs.

Sixteen-year-old Dervla would be proud. And we’re incredibly proud too. 💛

Read Dervla’s full story → https://www.youngsocialinnovators.ie/ysi-blog/humans-of-ysi-DervlaFlanagan/

Activate registration is now open! Activate is a ready-to-deliver 30-hour TY Micro-Module, giving students the space to explore issues they care about, work as a team, and develop their own social innovation project.

✨ New this year: enhanced prize packages including up to €10,000 for Gold.

🏅 Working towards Gaisce? YSI is an official Gaisce Challenge Partner, so time spent on students’ Activate projects can count towards their Gaisce Award.

For students: a certificate, personalised feedback, live events and real-world skills.
For teachers: a clear structure, practical resources and support from start to finish.

📅 Sept 2026 - May 2027 | ⏱ 1-2 classes per week | 💶 €15 per student

Register today - link in bio. 🚀

Do you work with young people who are receiving their A-level and GCSE results this month?

Young Social Innovators, the Jobs and Benefits Office and Belfast City Council are joining forces to deliver a free drop-in event for young people in Years 12, 13 and 14 - bringing together 30+ service providers and dedicated careers guidance under one roof.

Whatever results day brings, the goal is to give young people real options and support to plan their next steps, whether that's alternative education, training and skills, university, tech or a chance to figure all this out, we're here to provide you with the opportunity that's right for you!
📍 2 Royal Avenue, Belfast
🗓️ 26th August, 1pm-3pm
👋 Free and open to all Years 12-14 students

If you work with young people who could benefit from this, please help us spread the word ahead of results day and see you there!

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🚀 THE IGNITE SUMMER CHALLENGE IS A WRAP

4 days. 50 young people aged 16-25. 5 real social issues. 7 live solutions.

This month at Ormeau Labs, young people from right across Northern Ireland - different backgrounds and communities, came together to do something pretty extraordinary: turn a real issue in their own community into a working digital solution, using AI tools to help build it.

They learned what social innovation actually means. They mapped stakeholders, built personas, tested ideas, and then pitched it all to real tech founders at our closing showcase.

The result? Seven solutions built by young people, for their communities: 💊 NI Drug Harm Monitor 🧭 Beacon 🎯 Made for your age 📍 Lisburn Teen Activities 🌍 BICC 🛣️ Belfast Pothole Reports ✈️ Lighter Miles

Massive thanks to our brilliant facilitators Claire and Ava for bringing the whole week to life 💛
"There is nothing to add because it was an amazing experience." - one of our young people, straight after the showcase.

Got a group who'd thrive at the next one? Reach out to us at [email protected]

⏰ Last call! Applications for our Youth Climate Justice Project close soon.

12 spots. One coastline. Your story. If you're 16–21, based around Gorey, and curious about climate justice - this is your last chance to get involved.

Over the coming months you'll work with local artist Joy Redmond on visual art, digital storytelling and spoken word, exploring coastal change, biodiversity loss and community resilience - and turning what you learn into your own creative response.

📍 Gorey Youth Needs Group
🗓️ Thursdays, 4-6pm, from 3rd September
💶 Free - all materials provided

Don't sit this one out. Apply before the application deadline - 24th August, 2026 - https://tinyurl.com/ClimateJustice-YSI

As Young Social Innovators (YSI) marks 25 years of empowering young people to create change, celebrates the people and stories that have shaped those 25 years - including the 200,000 young changemakers who have been part of our journey.

This week’s story is a particularly special one for us, as we hear from our very own Danielle Gayson from Cashel Community School, whose YSI project Without Your Brain, You Have No Game raised awareness of concussion in sport in 2015.

Inspired by the tragic passing of Ben Robinson, Danielle and her team set out to make sport safer for young people, creating a concussion awareness logo for sportswear and bringing their campaign to schools, sports organisations and the wider community across Tipperary. Their work included a poster competition, Concussion Awareness Week and support from sporting figures including Paul McGrath and Alan Quinlan.

For Danielle, YSI helped build confidence, teamwork, communication skills and a deeper awareness of the issues facing her community. More importantly, it sparked a lasting belief in the power of young people to speak up, work together and take action.

Today, we’re lucky enough to have Danielle as part of the YSI family. She works with Young Social Innovators as our Local Leader in Cork City and with our CatalySE programme, where she now gets to support and empower young people taking part in the same programme that had such an impact on her own journey.

Danielle is also President of Youth Work Ireland, championing young people and supporting the continued development of youth work at local, national and European level.

There’s something very special about seeing a former YSI participant become someone who now helps other young people discover their own voices and realise the difference they can make.

We’re so proud to call Danielle one of our own. 💛

Read Danielle’s full story → https://www.youngsocialinnovators.ie/ysi-blog/humans-of-ysi-DanielleGayson/

Applications are open for our Youth Climate Justice Project! 🌊✨

We're looking for 12 young people (16-21) in Gorey to explore climate justice through creative collaboration and storytelling. Over a series of youth-led workshops in visual art, digital storytelling and spoken word, you'll dig into coastal change, biodiversity loss, rural sustainability and community resilience, and connect what's happening on our own coastline to the bigger global picture.

🎨 Facilitated by local artist Joy Redmond
📍 Gorey Youth Needs Group
🗓️ Thursdays, 4-6pm, from 3 September
💶 Free - all materials provided

Funded by the Department of Education and Youth as part of the Youth Climate Justice Fund.

No art experience needed, creativity comes in multi-faceted ways and forms, just bring your perspective. Apply now - https://tinyurl.com/ClimateJustice-YSI

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As we celebrate 25 years of Young Social Innovators, we’re sharing the stories of the people behind 200,000 young changemakers.

Meet Daniel Freeman.

In 2015, Daniel and the team at Largy College created Let’s Get By Together, a project that challenged homophobia and promoted understanding, acceptance and inclusion for LGBTQ+ young people.

For Daniel, YSI became much more than a school project. It marked the beginning of a journey towards greater self-acceptance, authenticity and confidence, values that continue to shape life and work today.

Now a Case Coordinator and Specialist Teacher with the Middletown Centre for Autism, Daniel supports neurodivergent children and young people to thrive in environments where they are understood, valued and empowered to be their authentic selves.

Daniel’s story is a powerful reminder that youth-led social innovation doesn’t end when a project finishes. The confidence and experiences gained through YSI can shape a lifetime.

Read Daniel’s full story via the link here - https://lnkd.in/ezqcPDyu

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As Young Social Innovators celebrates 25 years of youth-led change, continues to spotlight the people behind 190,000 young changemakers.

This week, we hear from Jack Dooley, a former participant from Tullamore College whose idea for a sustainable shower head grew into an award-winning project at the SAGE World Cup.

For Jack, YSI was his first experience of leading a project. He learned how to build something with a team and how to work under pressure. Those lessons stayed with him long after secondary school. Today, after studying Commerce at University College Dublin, Jack works with EY in New York as a Tax Manager.

His story is a reminder that youth-led ideas grow with the people who build them.