Young Social Innovators is a programme that encourages young people to try and create a positive change in their local or national community, based on a social issue that they feel strongly about such as alcohol abuse, cyber bullying, environment etc.

Pupils complete a project on a particular issue that is important to them.  They present their project and explain what they have done about this social issue to other schools at regional Speak Outs. If they are successful here they will then go forward to the National speak out.

This programme is predominantly for TY pupils but 5th years pupils may also enter.

In St. Anne’s Transition Year Students complete YSI projects and enter this competition every year.  It teaches students to be more socially aware and encourages team work and leadership and fosters confidence in students.

YSI projects to be completed in recent years by St. Anne’s students include:

• Bicycles and Bróga – a project that sent shoes to be used for prosthesis and bicycles to Northern Africa to help people get to school and market
• Positiviteam – who organised a 5K fun walk/run and who achieved 1000 thoughtful tasks and performed random acts of happiness to achieve their goals.
• Save our Seas – a project on water pollution
• Cat Fish –  a project on internet safety
• Homelessness – a project on homelessness

Our most recent Inspectorate Report states that “the way in which this project has been integrated with classroom teaching and learning in the Transition Year programme is very positive and confirms the focus on the holistic development of students that is rooted in the core values of the school”