As a youth development organisation, it’s essential for us to consult with young people to ensure we are meeting their needs.
For over 30 years, the Foróige Reference Panel has been fulfilling the role. This group has had a huge influence on many decisions and initiatives in Foróige.
So how do you get on to Foróige’s Reference Panel – a group of 64 young people who get together make recommendations to our National Council and bring about change, while representing 54,000 young people involved nationally?
FAB Feb (Foróige Against Bullying month) is coming soon and we are urging Foróige Clubs and Projects to get involved. The central purpose is to create awareness of positive self image among young people. Positive self image is about being happy in yourself and comfortable in your own skin. It is about being able to express yourself when with others and not being confined by negative pressures and put downs by others. It is the ability to accept your own limitations and flaws and focusing on the positives. It is about finding your own path in life - not following the crowd.
Creative Tech Fest (#CTF14) took place on 30th October 2014 in Google HQ and Roscommon Techspace was there! The group took part in a number of workshops including scratch programming, a robotics maze challenge, 'Makey Makey' and a photowalk.
A group of Sligo teenagers have been named European Young Entrepreneurs of the Year 2014 at a ceremony in Vienna. The Mercy College, Sligo students Rianne Keaveney (17), Róisín Shaw (16) Sinead Fitzsimons (16), Sinead D’Arcy (17) and Samantha Scanlon (17) travelled to Vienna to represent Ireland in the prestigious competition, which saw young entrepreneurs from across Europe outline their business plans to a panel of judges from some of the country’s leading companies. They were announced as Gold First winners in the competition late on Wednesday afternoon (Nov 26th).
[As part of the 'Smart People, Smart Economy' youth conference, the US Embassy, in partnership with Foróige, sponsored an intensive three-day module for young leaders from Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain. The SMART Youth Conference took place at the US Embassy from the 6th to the 8th November 2014. It began with the hosting of a lecture with Gay Byrne on the 6th November in the US Ambassador’s Residence. The overall aim of the module was to focus on youth leadership and the skills required to be successful in a 21st century workplace.]
The World Forum for Democracy took place in Strasbourg from the 3rd to the 5th November and two Foróige members, Lauren Lehane and Aisling O’Callaghan were in attendance. They are both active in Foróige’s youth participation initiatives and input regularly into the running of the organisation. They have also graduated from our Leadership programme.