Foróige is delighted to announce that our recommended online mental health training course for volunteers is now being rolled out. This is really useful low cost course called “ReachOut 101" and is composed of 4 sessions of about 1 hour each. The course can be taken in your own time while at home. The course includes videos, text, interactive questions and an online journal to provide a varied learning experience. To apply please contact your Foróige staff person.
We are incredibly proud of Alex Fitzpatrick (17) who is one of 12 competitors in new TV3 series the Great Irish Bake Off. Alex participated in our Youth Entrepreneurship programme with Foróige's Blanchardstown Youth Service and was a finalist in our Youth Entrepreneur of the Year competition in 2013 with his business, "Love at First Bite". We caught up with Alex to find out how the programme has made a difference to his life.
Self image was the big issue at this year’s Reference Panel Conference and Regional Conferences. Last year’s Reference Panel, in response to the issue of bullying and negative social pressures focused on creating positive environments for young people. This year’s Reference Panel focused on the other side of the coin – young people’s perception of themselves – how they can develop inner strength, resilience and a positive view of themselves, particularly in the face of adversity. As it is impossible to eliminate all negative pressures, it is essential for young people to develop these personal qualities if they are to grow to their full potential. As the proverb goes, “It is better to wear a good pair of shoes than to try to carpet the whole world”.
A sense of their uniqueness and the freedom to be their true selves was considered extremely important by the Reference Panel. They felt that despite the social pressures it was well worth the effort to achieve it. It was essential learning for young people in Foróige.
The video 'A Day In The Life Of A Young European', (see here: http://bit.ly/1gzyCin ) was produced by teenage members of Ireland’s leading youth organisation, Foróige. They produced the video to mark Europe Day, which is an annual celebration of peace and unity in Europe. Europe Day was celebrated in Europe at the offices of the European Commission on Dawson St. in Dublin. Sorcha Hodgins, Joe Aylward, Temi Liadi, Aisling O’Callaghan, Aaron Colfer, Nikita Evans, Jessie Reid and Eibhlís Moriarty also produced an education pack which will give people the opportunity to explore in more detail the issues covered in the video.
Five teenage business women from Sligo are bracing themselves for success after being crowned the winners of the Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2014, organised and run by Foróige, for their business ‘Brace Yourself’. The group were amongst the 1,500 participants from low income communities who set up 600 businesses as part of this year’s Foróige NFTE entrepreneurship programme, generating a collective turnover of €250,000.
Will Donnelly from St. Mary’s Secondary School in Glasnevin has won the Certified Entrepreneurship Trainer International Competition 2014. He has been teaching the Foróige Youth Entrepreneurship programme since 2010 and in this time he has brought approximately 150 students through to graduation. Will has enthusiastically brought the real business world into his classroom by arranging visits to local businesses, bringing in guest speakers to talk about how to survive in the business world, attended numerous trade fares and enabled his students to set up post office accounts for their businesses. Many of his students come from disadvantaged areas.
