Donegal students win funding for social innovation projects

Four school teams have been awarded funding for positive change projects, as part of their participation in the Social Innovation Den programme.

Change-makers from Rosses Community School (Dungloe), Abbey Vocational School (Donegal Town) and Scoil Mhuire (Buncrana) have been awarded €1,650 for positive change projects.

The students pitched for support for their projects before a YSI Den panel of representatives from IBM, Community Foundation Youth Panel, Education Authority NI, EirGrid and Cork City Council, to enable them to access Social Impact Fund support to advance their initiative.

The YSI teams that take part in the Social Innovation Den programme can request three types of support for their projects: money, means and mentoring.

Rosses Community School:

Ross Mullis Byrne, Owen Mullis Byrne and Elliott Cowley from Rosses Community School, Dungloe pitched their project Movement Matters, which aims to address the negative impacts of gaming on young people by promoting physical activity through sports and other outdoor activities. The team was awarded €400 to fund a bicycle rack in their school and an outdoor games area. As pictured above.

Another group, consisting of Maggie McDyer, Zoe Mc Cauley and Connlaith Boyle, will receive €500 for their project to support those affected by endometriosis. Their project, titled Get to Know your Endo, hopes to get endometriosis better recognition in schools and medical sectors by addressing the limited information on the health condition. The group were afforded funding and mentoring to help them create information booklets and continue their work.

Left to right: Maggie McDyer, Zoe Mc Cauley and Connlaith Boyle from Rosses Community School in Dungloe, who were recently awarded funding and mentoring to raise awareness surrounding endometriosis through Young Social Innovators’ Den programme

 Abbey Vocational School:

Students Laila Mullen, Kelly Lindsay and Lauren McNulty from Abbey Vocational School, Donegal Town received €500 for their The Bees’ Needs project. The funding will help them plant flowers, foliage and bee hotels around their school and local area, and raise awareness about bees and wildlife preservation.

Left to right: Laila Mullen, Kelly Lindsay and Lauren McNulty from Abbey Vocational School in Donegal town who were recently awarded funding to support bee preservation through Young Social Innovators’ Den programme

Scoil Mhuire:

Students Patrick Doherty, Patric McBride and Ryan Farnan from Scoil Mhuire in Buncrana were awarded support for their Plastic Warriors project for which they are collecting and reusing plastic bottles. They received YSI Den funding of €250 to help them make bird feeders for the local park, and create jewellery and decorations from reused plastic bottles.

Left to right: Patrick Doherty, Patric McBride and Ryan Farnan from Scoil Mhuire in Buncrana who were recently awarded funding for a project which is seeing them collecting and upcycling plastic bottles through Young Social Innovators’ Den programme 

“The students from Rosses Community School, Abbey Vocational School and Scoil Mhuire in Buncrana are exemplary young social innovators, and we are delighted to help them get their projects up and running to bring about positive change in their communities,” Roger Warnock, CEO, Young Social Innovators, said. 

“Our Den panellists rewarded these young people for their ability to develop sustainable, high-impact projects, as well as for their passion for social innovation.

“We are delighted that in 2024, the Social Impact Fund is supported by IBM. I would like to thank IBM and all our Den partners, including our panellists.”

To date, the YSI Den has provided over €150,000 in grant funding to support youth-led ideas for social change throughout Ireland.