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The goal of this project is to celebrate our local area and create a sense of community pride. We want to challenge the narrative some people have about Coolock and show that Coolock is a welcoming place of strong community spirit. We want people to feel proud of their local area. Our aim is also to challenge stereotypes around young people that young people don’t care about anyone but themselves. We wanted to show that young people are invested in their local community and want to make a positive impact.
Our Social Issue
We have chosen to tackle the social issue of building community and breaking down stereotypes. We feel that Coolock can be seen by some people in a negative light. We wanted to challenge this by highlighting the positives of Coolock as a community. We want to challenge the narrative some people have about Coolock and show that Coolock is a welcoming place of strong community spirit. We also wanted to challenge the stereotype that young people don’t care about anyone but themselves. We want to show that young people are invested in their local community and want to make a positive impact.
Why We Chose It
We decided to focus on the theme of community because we wanted to give back to the community of Coolock. Coolock gets a bad name and our community is looked down on. This is an issue because it puts a bad name on Coolock and causes less opportunities for your future based on where you're from. We wanted to show Coolock in a positive light and from a different perspective. We wanted students in our school to feel proud of where they live and where they go to school. We want Coolock to not be judged.
Our Goal
We decided to focus on the theme of community because we wanted to give back to the community of Coolock. We wanted to show Coolock in a positive light and from a different perspective. We wanted students in our school to feel proud of where they live and where they go to school. Coolock is a place full of kind, hardworking and supportive people. Our project is unique because no one ever focuses on the good side of Coolock. We tried to show the good and challenge perspectives by organising community events and bringing the community together.
Our Innovative Action
We completed research and looked at the history of Coolock. We organised a community mass and carol service in St. Brendan's Church. We organised an awareness week in our school where we made announcements, conducted surveys, had games at lunchtime and ran a poster competition with 1st years called Proud to Be Me. We wrote articles that were published in local newspapers and set up an Instagram. We set up a community notice board in our school to highlight all the great clubs in our area. We have linked with the Coolock tidy group. We emailed the local TDs
Our Impact
We made a positive difference, by showing the community of Coolock that we as young people care for the community. We have also challenged the negative stereotypes people have about Coolock, and worked to build community pride in Coolock. We have empowered people to improve their lives by showing them to be proud of where they come from. We have learned the impact that we as young people’s voices hold and have.