Your Turn challenges young people to think in new ways about their town or city and their world. The result is growing numbers of young people with the interest, knowledge and confidence to make a contribution to their communities far beyond their age and experience.
Your Turn seeks to empower local young people to develop their confidence and self-esteem, enable them to take up leadership roles within their communities and to participate effectively in decision making processes at all levels in Irish society.
Where is Your Turn taking place?
Between 2000 – 2003, the Your Turn campaign in Dublin delivered 10 workshops reaching over 500 young people. The programme was delivered in 2000/01 and 2001/02 to groups of 30 young people from 10 schools and ran for a period of 8 days. In total 17 second level schools participated in Your Turn over this period.
In February 2005 the Your Turn campaign was relaunched in cooperation with the Northside Partnership in the form of a 7 day programme for 30 young people from schools and youth organisations across the Northside Partnership area.
In June 2007 the programe was launched in Limerick in the form of a 3 day programme in cooperation with the Limerick Youth Service.
In 2009 the programme was launced in Cork.
2010 was the first year in which the programme was run in Dublin, Cork and Limerick with 90 young people participating and 30 schools and youth organisations represented. We endeavour to build on the success of the programme and to continue running the programme in all three regions in 2011.
What’s the benefit?
Your Turn aims to:
- encourage an integrated approach to problem solving
- break down barriers and create an understanding of other opinions
- increase the percentage of young people involved in local and city life
- raise aspirations and expectations of transition year students with regard to their future and that of their communities, schools and youth organisations
- enable young people to make more informed life choices.
For more information contact Your Turn programme Manager, Michelle Green at michelle.green@commonpurpose.ie