An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny delivered the key note address at the Awards Ceremony of the Annual Showcase of Young Social Innovators 2011 which took place in Citywest Hotel and Convention Centre on May 11th 2011.

Some 3,000 young social innovators came along to what was an amazing day and helped YSI celebrate its 10th birthday in style! All sorts of party hats appeared and Mary Black stole the show as she sang Happy Birthday YSI with the entire audience!

Mary Kennedy, MC, was there to introduce all the sponsors and prize winners, ministers and celebrities. Fred Cooke, comedian, had everyone out of their seats and congo-ing around the huge Convention Centre as An Taoiseach arrived to congratulate the participants and guides of YSI 2011.

Ministers Frances Fitzgerald, Joan Burton and Ciaran Cannon presented awards as well as other sponsor partners to YSI. Republic of Loose also made a spectacular appearance during the Awards Ceremony. Other bands who performed on the day included Miracle Bell and Lost in Flight.

Well done and thank you to everyone who took part and helped to make the Annual Showcase extra enjoyable for all of the YSI participants, guides, guests and visitors!

Watch Showcase video here

See Showcase photos here

Did you have a good time? Go to our FACEBOOK page here and tell us about your day!

School Name: Mount Mercy College, Co. Cork
Project Name: Divert Your Stride From Suicide
Award: Young Social Innovators of the Year 2011

Award presented by Sr. Stanisalus Kennedy, Chairperson, YSI.

This project aimed to promote awareness about the growing and tragic issue of suicide. The team aimed to break the silence around the issue and to encourage people to communicate openly about the subject.

School Name: Davis College, Mallow, Co. Cork
Project Name: Missing Persons
Award: Young Social Innovators of the Year 2011 - Silver Award

Award presented by Sr. Stanisalus Kennedy, Chairperson, YSI.

The aim of this project was to create awareness of missing persons in Ireland as the team felt that this was an issue that often gets overlooked or neglected.

School: St. Declan's Community College, Kilmacthomas, Co. Waterford
Project Name: Under the Influence
Award: Young Social Innovators of the Year 2011 - Bronze Award

Award presented by Sr. Stanisalus Kennedy, Chairperson, YSI.

This project was a Step-Up project which means that it was a continuation of a previous YSI project on peer pressure on young drivers begun by another YSI team within the school.

School Name: Our Lady's College, Drogheda, Co. Louth
Project Name: Actions Speak Louder than Words
Award: Making Our Country More Inclusive and Poverty Free Challenge

Award presented by Joan Burton TD, Minister for Social Protection.

The team decided to focus on the topic of deafness after a team member shared the experience of her deaf cousin who has an adapted door bell which alerts them to the presence of visitors by flashing lights. The group realised how little they knew about the difficulties faced by the deaf community and decided that they wanted to learn more.

School Name: Presentation College, Askea, Co. Carlow
Project Name: Youth Alive, Alert, Enthusiastic
Award: Making Our World One World Challenge

Award presented by Austin Gormley, Director of Information and Development Education, Irish Aid.

This project highlighted how HIV and AIDs affect young people in Ireland and Zambia and aimed to pass on the message of HIV/AIDS prevention to students and to stamp out the stigma associated with the disease. A quote from Kader Asmal embodies their work ‘In the absence of a cure, education is the social vaccine.’

School Name: St. Paul's Secondary School, Oughterard, Co. Galway
Project Name: Sow the Seed, Sit and Read
Award: Making Our World a Better Place for Young People Challenge

Award presented by Frances Fitzgerald TD, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.

This project highlighted the importance of literacy among young people and the importance of parental involvement in instilling a lifelong love of reading in children, by educating them in the benefits of paired reading.

School Name: Presentation College, Tuam, Co. Galway
Project Name: I Need You
Award: Making Our Community Better Challenge

Award presented by Ciarán Cannon TD, Minister of State for Training and Skills.

The team noticed that many voluntary organizations in the locality were suffering due to a lack of volunteers and simultaneously there were a large number of people unemployed. In order to match these two needs, they set up a Tuam Volunteer Centre.

School Name: Coláiste Muire, Ennis, Co. Clare
Project Name: C the Bright Side
Award: Making Our World Healthier - Physical Health Challenge

Award presented by Dr. Nazih Eldin, Director of Health Promotion, HSE Dublin North East.

The tragic passing of Ciara, a school friend of this team, due to cancer in May 2010, inspired this YSI class to celebrate and commemorate her life. They did this by designing a memorial garden in the school. This project also aimed to raise awareness about teenage cancer and raise money for CanTeen Ireland, an organisation which supports teenagers with cancer.

School Name: St. Columba’s Comprehensive School, Glenties, Co. Donegal
Project Name: I Swing that Way?
Award: Making Our World Healthier - Mental Health Challenge

Award presented by Geoff Day, Director of the National Office for Suicide Prevention, Health Service Executive

The students focused on the subject of homophobic bullying in secondary schools. Information was collected from Glen and BeLonG To websites, from equality documents, newspapers and magazines. The team also contacted an Advocacy Officer from BeLonG To and a Director in Donegal Youth Council.

School Name: Loreto Convent, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
Project Name: Reduce the Abuse
Award: Making Our World Fair and Just Challenge

Award presented by Sr. Miriam Hennessy, Mother Provincial, Irish Sisters of Charity.

This project highlighted the need to raise awareness about the issue of domestic abuse. The team used the internet and visited websites such as Childline and Barnardos.

School Name: Mercy Heights Secondary School, Skibbereen, Co. Cork
Project Name: Smooth Cycling
Award: Making Our World Safer Challenge

Award presented by Karina Howley, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, KPMG.

This project aimed to get the local community more involved in cycling and to secure more cycling facilities in Skibbereen, for example, bicycle stands for the public. The group also wanted to highlight the importance of safety while cycling, especially the importance of wearing a helmet and making drivers more aware of cyclists and their safety.

School Name: Mercy College, Coolock, Co. Dublin
Project Name: Let’s Get Greener
Award: Making Our World Greener Challenge

Award presented by Tommy Walshe, President, National Parents Council, Post Primary.

This project aimed to increase student awareness of recycling and reduce their school’s litter problem.

School Name: St. Angela’s College, Cork, Co. Cork
Project Name: Because of You
Award: Relationships and Sexual Health Challenge

Award presented by Dr. Stephanie O’Keeffe, Acting Director, HSE Crisis Pregnancy Programme.

The team wanted to promote positive relationships amongst teenagers and to demonstrate that all teenagers deserve to be treated well in a relationship. The aim was to raise awareness about abusive relationships and give people the courage to break away from unhealthy relationships.

School Name: Presentation College, Tuam, Co. Galway
Project Name: Hope Square
Award: YSI Step-Up Challenge

Award presented by Annalisa O'Carroll, Social Entrepreneurs Ireland.

This was a continuation of the project ‘Bloom and Broom for Tuam’ (2009/2010) through which students greatly improved the appearance of Bishop Street in the town of Tuam. This year’s team wanted to expand the project further and continue improvements to their town.

School Name: Sacred Heart Secondary School, Clonakility, Co. Cork
Project Name: Homelessness
Award: YSI Post-It (Poster) Challenge

Award presented by Barbara Lisa, Vision Consulting.

This team created a poster that promoted the message of their YSI project about tackling homelessness.

School Name: Coláiste Muire, Ennis, Co. Clare
Project Name: C the Bright Side
Award: YSI Fun-Raising Challenge

Award presented by Norma Smurfit, Smurfit Foundation.

This project group were extremely innovative in their actions to raise awareness and funds for CanTeen Ireland, an organisation which supports teenagers with cancer.

School Name: St. Anne’s Secondary School, Rosanna Rd, Tipperary Town, Co. Tipperary
Project Name: W.O.O.F. – Welfare of Our Furry Friends
Award: YSI Using Technology to Change the World for Good

Award presented by Leo Norris, YSI Board Member.

This team used on line media to increase awareness about the amount of neglected animals in the area and the idea of raising funds for Cottage Rescue Centre.