2024 Summary: What a Year!

2024 has been a landmark year for Young Social Innovators (YSI), filled with innovation, collaboration, and a stronger commitment than ever to empowering young people to change the world for good.

From the buzzing energy of YSI Speak Outs,  Awards, YSI Learning Lab to the launch of our first-ever TY Work Experience Programme and the inaugural YSI Youth Panel, we’ve seen ideas flourish, voices amplified, and connections deepened.

These milestones reflect our unwavering dedication to fostering creativity, problem-solving, and youth leadership. Here’s a glimpse at some of the standout moments from 2024 and how they’re setting the stage for an even more impactful future.

YSI Learning Lab

2024 has been an exciting year for the YSI Learning Lab at the DCU Alpha campus! This welcoming and dynamic space has become a hub for young people to explore Social Innovation through a hands-on approach.

The lab is equipped with 3D printers, micro:bit kits, laptops, an array of prototyping tools like LEGO, Play-Doh, and plenty of creative supplies. It is designed to inspire creativity and collaboration. This year, we launched workshops integrating Social Innovation with new technology, including scratch coding and prototyping activities.

Over the past year, the Lab has hosted more than 170 young people from schools and Youthreach centres across Leinster. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with students sharing their excitement about stepping out of the classroom to engage in hands-on, innovative experiences.

Seeing young people bring their creativity to life in the Lab has been a true privilege. As we look ahead to 2025, we’re excited to continue developing engaging workshops that empower the next generation of innovators. Stay tuned for more updates and opportunities to get involved!

Our First Ever TY Work Experience Programme!

Our Transition Year Work Experience Programme was a huge success. This was the first time YSI offered a structured week-long programme for a group of TYs. The TYs spent time with YSI’s Education, Operations and Communications departments expressing their views on YSI’s programme and communications methods. 
 

I enjoyed doing work experience with Young Social Innovators, I liked meeting new people and finding solutions to problems people face every day. It has opened my mindset about what I would like to do in the future and I would definitely recommend joining the YSI team.

YSI Youth Panel: Shaping the Future Together

A group of passionate young people recently launched the YSI Youth Panel, marking the start of a journey to ensure youth voices guide Young Social Innovators (YSI). These collaborative meetings aim to create meaningful opportunities for young people to influence social innovation education. Participants shared their hopes—making a difference, being heard, and creating change—and their fears of failure or judgment. They emphasized the importance of inclusivity, collaboration, and ensuring everyone feels valued.

The Youth Panel is designed to amplify youth perspectives, shape YSI programmes, and tackle social issues. Open to 16-24-year-olds, it will meet quarterly (including in-person sessions) and foster skills like mentorship and networking. Members will contribute to programme development, collaborate nationally, and engage in discussions on social change.

Youth Voice at the Board Level

A Youth Panel member recently reported to the YSI Board, sharing their journey and advocating for more in-person engagement and structured pathways for youth representation. The discussion sparked interest in expanding engagement routes and underscored the Board’s commitment to youth-led innovation.

Ignite Community Programme: Sparking Change Across Communities

Coming soon, the Ignite Community Programme is a groundbreaking four-year initiative supported by PEACEPLUS and managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). Designed to empower young people outside traditional education systems, this programme will equip participants with essential skills like teamwork, empathy, and critical thinking to co-create innovative solutions for their communities. By fostering cross-border and cross-community relationships across Northern Ireland and the Border Counties, Ignite Community promises to help young people become leaders of positive change. Stay tuned for more details!

Looking Ahead

As 2024 draws to a close, we can’t help but feel inspired by the passion, creativity, and resilience of the young people we’ve worked with this year. Whether they were prototyping solutions at the Learning Lab, sharing insights during the TY Work Experience Programme, or shaping the future through the YSI Youth Panel, their contributions have been nothing short of remarkable.

We’re excited to carry this momentum into 2025, continuing to create meaningful opportunities for young people to lead, innovate, and make a difference. Stay tuned as we embark on another exciting chapter together—because the best is yet to come!