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Press release

Appointment of Ms Aine Kerr as Chair of Gaisce – The President’s Award

Roderic O'Gorman, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth today announced the appointment of Ms Aine Kerr as the new Chair of the Council of Gaisce – The President’s Award for a three year term.

Making the announcement, Minister O'Gorman said:

“I am delighted to appoint such an eminently qualified person as Ms Kerr to this important position. Ms Kerr is an award winning entrepreneur and broadcaster. She is a current member of the Gaisce Council and in addition is Chair of social innovation fund Rethink Ireland and the girls’ education initiative the Shona Project. She has worked for Ireland’s broadsheet newspapers and public service broadcaster, start-ups and platforms, and also won multiple awards. She embodies all of the qualities that the President and I believe are essential to the role of Chair of the Council of Gaisce."

Notes

Gaisce – The President’s Award is a company limited by guarantee and is governed by a board of directors called the Gaisce Council.

Gaisce is a self-development programme for young people which enhances confidence and wellbeing through participation in personal, physical and community challenges. Gaisce is a direct challenge from the President of Ireland to young people aged 14-25 to dream big and realise their potential. Gaisce is non-competitive: participants are encouraged to choose their own activities and goals with the support of a trained, adult President’s Award Leader (or PAL).

Gaisce’s Vision: An Ireland where young people dream big and fulfil their potential

Gaisce’s Mission: To provide a positive youth development programme that encourages and guides young people so that their innate talents and abilities, sense of citizenship and social agency can be fully realised.

Gaisce is driven by the following core values:

  • empowerment
  • inclusion and equality
  • respect
  • excellence

The organisation has developed a 'values proposition' which sets out: the meaning of each value as it pertains to Gaisce; what the organisation aims to achieve with respect to each value; the approach to work to ensure alignment with each value; and a statement of practice, outlining how practice and behaviour reflects each value.

Gaisce’s Strategic Priorities for the term 2022-2025:

PILLAR I: BUILD ON ACHIEVEMENT

Strategic Objectives:

EQUALITY OF ACCESS

1. Strengthen access points to Gaisce for all young people affected by disadvantage through a diversity and inclusion programme delivered in youth and community settings.

2. Strengthen access points to Gaisce for young people across all post primary and second chance education.

3. Strengthen the Joint Award Initiative partnership with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to ensure any young person in Northern Ireland who wishes to achieve a Gaisce Award can do so.

RESPONSIBLE CITIZENSHIP

1. Continue Gaisce’s unique role in encouraging young people, in the pursuit of their Award, to consider and question the world around them and the role they can play in creating a more just and equal society.

2. Incorporate into Gaisce the importance of nurturing young people’s role as critical agents with infinite capacity for activism in addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

3. Position Gaisce as an essential programme for post-primary schools and centres of education to deliver the Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice.

WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP

1. Support, recognise and reward President’s Award Leaders (PALs) and Gaisce Award Partners, highlighting the centrality of their role in inspiring positive impact for young people.

2. Through strategic partnerships with civic society, continue to ensure that Gaisce is available to any young person who wishes to participate and explore opportunities for increased accessibility.

PILLAR II: TELL OUR STORY

Strategic Objectives

1. Significantly enhance the profile of Gaisce in Ireland with particular emphasis on the values of the organisation and which underpin the Gaisce Award programme.

2. Evidence the positive impact of participation in the Gaisce Awards and advocate and advance the importance of Positive Youth Development and formation of the self in interaction with others.

3. Engage with Gaisce participants and Gaisce Awardees, harnessing their insight, experience, voice and energy, encouraging them to tell their stories of unlocking the immense potential that is in all of us.

PILLAR III: EXCELLENCE IN WHAT WE DO

PARTICIPANTS

1. Encourage participants to live Gaisce’s values in all aspects of their Award.

2. Become a better-informed youth organisation by listening and learning from young people through their involvement and participation in the organisation.

The Gaisce programme is delivered by almost 1,500 PALs working and volunteering in a variety of organisations across Ireland. There are three levels of award – Bronze, Silver and Gold. Since its inception in 1985, more than 250,000 Awards have been achieved across all levels and every county in Ireland and, today, near to 25,000 young people participate annually.

The Articles of Association provide that there shall be 15 members of the Gaisce Council, appointed by the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.