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YSI Teams from all over Ireland attend Powering Up Event at Iconic Aviva Stadium
This week YSI and Eirgrid organised an inspiring event for teams of young people titled 'Powering Up.' This unique event brought together young people from across the country, providing them with valuable insights into EirGrid's role in decarbonising the power system and the challenges and opportunities involved in transforming the electricity grid for future generations.
Student Initiatives: 'From Blue to Green' and 'Community Garden':
Amongst the brilliant suggestions and initiatives proposed by young people on the day, two examples of exciting projects are the 'From Blue to Green' project by Temple Carrig students, which focuses on the environmental impact of online shopping packaging and recycling. Students aim to raise awareness about the often-overlooked issue of excess packaging in online orders.
I think packaging is really overlooked. When you order online you don’t really think about the amount of packaging that comes with that. We hope to make people think more about the impact that packaging has. I found the talk looking at the SDGs from the United Nations really interesting, particularly about the ones that related to our project.
Wicklow Youthreach students presented the 'Community Garden' project, emphasising the benefits of establishing a new community garden for local biodiversity. This initiative underlines the importance of green spaces in fostering environmental sustainability and community well-being.
Inside the National Control Centre:
One of the highlights of the day was an overview of the National Control Centre, the nerve centre for balancing electricity production with customer demand in real-time. This rare insight into the inner workings of EirGrid provided young people with a better understanding of the complexities involved in ensuring a reliable and sustainable power supply.
Exploring Climate Justice and Biodiversity:
Workshops were hosted by the YSI Team and Eirgrid Teams on topics including; The Sustainable Development Goals: Ireland’s Targets and Response, Climate Justice, Biodiversity and Renewable Energy. Participants actively engaged in thought-provoking sessions and shared their own experiences and insights. Led by experts from EirGrid and YSI, these sessions encouraged young minds to contemplate ways to make a positive impact on the environment. The teams then incorporated these insights into their own projects.
EirGrid's Chief Infrastructure Officer, Michael Mahon, expressed pride in partnering with YSI for the workshop, recognising the potential of teenagers as clean energy advocates.
YSI CEO Roger Warnock commended the enthusiasm and creativity displayed by the young participants, emphasizing their crucial role as future leaders. The 'Powering Up' event not only inspired innovative projects but also fostered a collaborative spirit among the young people, paving the way for a better and more sustainable tomorrow. At the end of the day participants shared their project ideas, marking the beginning of impactful initiatives that will impact communities across the country.
If you want to learn more about YSI programmes you can get involved here
