Gaisce 2022

The Gaisce President’s Award is a challenge to all the young people in Ireland set out by Michael D. Higgins. As the Gaisce website says, its aim is to help youth ‘dream big and realise their potential’. 

Transition Year students are encouraged to participate in the bronze award, which is available for those over the age of fifteen. After the completion of bronze, students are welcome to try for the silver and gold awards in 5th and 6th year. The bronze award consists of thirteen weeks of each of the following; community involvement, physical recreation, a personal skill, and another thirteen weeks of one of your choice. The bronze award ends with an adventure journey that will be organised by the school at the end of the year, including an overnight stay and approximately thirty kilometres of walking over the two consecutive days. 

Physical recreation can easily be obtained within the school, with the many after school sports accessible here. Some activities that the TYs are doing include basketball and couch to 5k. When we asked a few girls about what they thought about doing Gaisce in school, they said it’s much easier than going out to a club and having to pay for classes each week. It’s convenient because it’s right here on the Loreto campus. Some have also pointed out that motivation is easier to find when you’re training with your friends. You can be laughing and chatting while still getting your journal signed for Gaisce each week. 

We talked to a student who has chosen something outside of school as a part of her physical recreation. She decided to choose taekwondo because it was the easiest choice, since she does it as an extracurricular already. It's in close proximity to her area, so she can easily walk to training.

There is so much choice for learning a new personal skill, the decision can be difficult. A few examples of the new skills TYs are studying include crochet, cross stitch, new languages, and piano.

We talked to a student who decided to learn how to ride a bike for personal skill. She decided to cycle everyday on the way to school. She chose this because she always wanted to learn how to ride a bike but she never got the chance.

Community involvement can give some of the most satisfaction as you are not only doing it for yourself, but for your town or area. TYs are doing many things to help the community, including coaching in their own clubs or in the school sports, students picking up litter through their local Tidy Towns and pupils in 4E with their community links class. 

We talked with some students who chose to do Balbriggan Tidy Towns for community involvement. They said it's convenient because there is one for their own town, so it's available locally. 

Many girls from the school help out, and it's better with friends. The time goes by quicker when you're having a conversation.

 

If you’re still struggling with what to do for Gaisce. Don’t worry, it’s not too late. Physical recreation is easy to find within the school, or at your local community centre or GAA clubs. Personal skill can be done within the comfort of your own home, and community involvement can be done practically anywhere, from coaching sports to picking up litter in your estate.