A TEAM of Transition Year students from Mercy Mounthawk are among those shortlisted for the upcoming Young Social Innovators of the Year Awards 2023.
Thirty-five teams of student innovators from all over Ireland, including four from Kerry, have been shortlisted to compete for a range of YSI Challenge Awards as well as the overall Gold, Silver and Bronze Young Social Innovators of the Year Title Awards.
Mercy Secondary School, Mounthawk’s entry is a project called “Catch My Drift”. It has been nominated for an award in the “Make Our World Safer” category.
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The “Catch My Drift” project focuses on the issue and social concern of the current lack of education and awareness that exists around the area of essential water safety and drowning prevention in their school and local communities.
The team have been dedicating their year to educating and highlighting the importance of being “water & beach safety aware” by providing access to basic and essential information as well as drowning prevention awareness through their campaign in person and on social media.
The team’s main goal is to be proactive in changing attitudes and behaviours around this social issue in the hope of contributing to the prevention of future water related accidents or fatalities from happening in Kerry and beyond.
Students have undertaken a series of research surveys, set up an information stalls, decorated halls and notice boards with visual displays of ”Information, Facts & Statistics” that surround this topic, ran a successful social media campaign, held a fundraising event in aid of their chosen charities, the Fenit RNLI branch and Water Safety Ireland, selling “Mermaid’s Purse” sweet bag, raising over €450 euro for these essential services.
Students have engaged with the Water Safety Ireland WISE (Water Insight, Safety & Education) programme and have used their learning and upskilling in water safety strategies and risk assessment information to create a series of workshops for Junior Cycle students from 1st to 3rd year.
The workshops, which were delivered last week during “National YSI week”, provide important strategies for all aspects of daily lives from specific water based activities to hazards, CPR as well as what to do when faced potential unforeseen accidents.
Going forward, students have organised a guest speaker event in collaboration with the Fenit RNLI branch to ensure their school community is equipped with essential beach safety and drowning prevention knowledge and strategies in advance of the summer months ahead.
The awards ceremony will take place on Tuesday, May 2, in Croke Park in Dublin.
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