The Area Development Initiative to Grow YSI: History, Impact, Current Status and Future Development
The Work of the Local Leaders: How do they make a difference?
videos
The thematic examples that follow are organised within several broad categories gleaned from an examination of the work of local leaders over the past three years. Taken in their entirety, and presented in their own words, the perceptive “stories” they tell encapsulate the centrality of their skill sets as relationship-based professionals. These video clips amply demonstrate the essential role local leaders have played in growing and sustaining effective youth-led social innovation across Ireland.
making connections, building networks & enhancing capacity
Karen Kelly considers the relative contribution that local leaders make locally and regionally in building networks and making connections, with emphasis on Teach Meets, Community Mapping, and Sprints as mechanisms to enable teacher collaboration. (2020/21)
Grainne Davitt explore methods for connecting teachers with one another, including what is the “hook” & immediate gain, what new resources are available, creating a space to talk, and bringing new energy to teaching and learning. (2020/21)
Sara Hakim reflects describes how a return to her “roots” enabled her to integrate her experiences in youth-led social innovation with what she knew more intimately from her prior work, illustrating the uniqueness each local leader brings to the process. (2021/22)
Susan O’Neill describes a long-term strategy for engaging with and developing pre-existing networks in second-level schools and Youthreach programmes within an Education and Training Board (ETB) that continues to flourish. (2021/22)
Fiona Gomez tells the developmental story of her work with a DEIS school in Cork City that resulted in an internationally acclaimed, multi-level social innovation project called the Food Fund, illustrating a remarkable school-community partnership and the importance of recognizing “critical moments” (see more detailed case vignette and videos in another section of the present report.) (2021/22)
Betty McLaughlin recounts her experience as a local in helping to “un-stick” and rejuvenate a project through personal connections, persistence and re-framing. (2021/22)
Susan O’Reilly talks about exploring contacts, establishing connections and seeing opportunities in conversation with like-minded people who exhibit common interests in the community. Being curious and open to experience often leads to unexpected outcomes. (2022/23)
Naomi Wardle illustrates re-energising a youth-led social innovation project by helping a group of learners take a “fresh look” at their idea and creating a safe environment within which their ideas could flourish, leading to an award-winning project that continues to grow (see more detailed case vignette and videos in another section of the present report.) (2021/22)
Susan O’Neill discusses being alert to the possibilities for local community networking and the attributes she looks for in potential participants. (2020/21)
Eileen Costello Rawat illustrates exemplars of how to link schools working on the same or similar topics, broadening their experience, seeing mutually beneficial opportunities, and identifying and capitalising on linkages within the community. (2020/21)