On 29th March 2019 there was a Speak Out held in The Lyrath Estate Hotel Kilkenny, that our Transition Year YSI classes attended.
This YSI Speak Out Tour brings together all the young social innovators in Ireland in any one year.
Those who are actively engaged and wish to change the world for good, shall be participating in this YSI Action Programme. If you want to know what people care about and what young innovators are doing to change our world today, the Speak Out is where you’ll find out all the answers.
Some 6,000 young people will speak out across Ireland on local, national and international issues as part of the Young Social Innovators Speak Out Tour 2019 this year. Running throughout March, each regional Speak Out event will be attended by hundreds of teenagers.
All these teenagers will be given the opportunity to make a two-minute presentation on their solutions to challenges such as health, poverty, climate change and diversity.
What is a YSI Speak Out?
A YSI Speak-Out is where you go If you want things to change. You need to get people on board with your idea; tell them what needs to be done, why and how your idea is going to make a difference. An idea on its own won’t change things unless it becomes reality. YSI teams come to the YSI regional Speak Out events and present their very own Speak Out to an audience of peers and local communities.
Our School, Scoil Mhuire shall participate in this event. Our two class topics are ‘Homelessness’ and ‘Special Educational Needs Awareness’ also known as ‘S.E.N.A’
Both Classes have put in a substantial amount of effort and time preparing themselves for their speech.
The main goal though is to. . . get attention!
You can present your social innovation in any creative way you choose.
For example, some teams use music, costumes, visuals and props to help you get their message across.
It’s important that you effectively communicate what social issue you addressed and why and what you did to create positive change.
YSI Classes
Two YSI classes in Transition Year will be participating in the YSI Speak Out. Both classes have two different and very important topics and messages to spread, which they both have been busy learning about, working on and spreading awareness about their topic over the past school year.
Ms. Comerford’s YSI class chose the topic of “Special Educational Needs Awareness (S.E.N.A)”. They have been learning about five different educational needs, Asperger’s, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, ADHD and Tourette’s. Between January 28th and February 15th each educational need had a week of awareness with announcements, presentations and posters around the school.
Over the year the YSI S.E.N.A class have been raising money with a jersey day, multiple bake sales and a movie day for the first years. Money raised was put towards resources for permanent posters for the school about ways teachers and students can help someone in their class with one of these educational needs to be more comfortable in the environment. Money raised will also be paying for a helpful software for the school suggested by Ms.Denby.
Ms. Doran’s YSI class chose the topic of “Homelessness”. Over the year the YSI class had campaigned in the school for donations of coats for a coat collection and also some helpful resources that will be included in care packages for homeless people that they put together. Their YSI class also held a “sleep in” inside the school.
Both classes have been working hard over the past few weeks, preparing and practising a performance for the Speak Out.
The YSI S.E.N.A class came up with an artistic performance, incorporating a dance routine to the song “Umbrella” by Rihanna. They chose this song because it included the team of Umbrellas which they have used over the year as a symbol for “Different but the same.”
Ms. Doran’s class came up with a scenario in their performance on the topic of homelessness. It included facts and superheroes helping the homeless.
