(L-R) Filip Beronsky, Jack Heaney and Brian Kiernan, students from St Joseph’s Secondary School, Rochfortbridge, with their project ‘Phone Addiction’, tackling phone addiction in young people.

Westmeath change-makers join Young Social Innovators Speak Out Tour

Students from a local secondary school recently took part in a Young Social Innovators' (YSI) event in Kilkenny.

St Joseph’s Secondary School, Rochfortbridge students Filip Beronsky, Jack Heaney and Brian Kiernan, spoke on the issue of how to tackle phone addiction in young people at the YSI even at the Newpark Hotel on March 20.

The YSI event in Kilkenny, which is part of a nationwide tour, saw participants speak about a range of topical issues, including mental health, inclusion, gender equality, sustainability and fast fashion.

A total of 5,190 second-level students from across Ireland gathered in teams to present 348 positive change projects during the tour.

The YSI Speak Out Tour is supported by Dublin City Council and Cork City Council.

Young Social Innovators is a non-profit organisation that believes in the power of youth. Its vision is to empower, equip and inspire young people to change the world for good. Through its programmes, training and events, Young Social Innovators enables young people to grapple with difficult social issues, advocating reform and advancing change.

Each year, circa 15,000 young people are supported to explore social issues that concern them and come up with a variety of responses to these. In this way, Young Social Innovators builds social capital and helps young people create a fairer and more caring Ireland.