With summer 2020 in Ireland being a very different experience, a unique challenge has been put to the young people of Cork to encourage them to engage in focussed, positive and fun activities, which will reward them for achieving personal goals and developing new skills.
Cork Education and Training Board (CETB), in partnership with Cork City Council and Cork County Council, is piloting the We Are Cork Youth Challenge for Summer 2020 to give young people and teenagers an opportunity to jump into a fresh skill or develop existing talents.
Some 30 challenges across music, arts, society, environment, sport and technology have been set, with registered participants asked to complete 20 tasks over the summer months and record their experiences for others to see. A special commemorative medal, from the Lord Mayor and County Mayor will be given to each successful participant, with IT prizes also up for grabs for the most creative and exciting challenges.
We Are Cork Youth Challenge kicked off on June 22nd and currently there are close to 200 young people registered for the challenge, which is expected to continue to grow. The Challenge aims to provide young participants with opportunities to focus their energies on positive activities throughout the summer and the creativity and engagement seen from young people is exceptional.
CETB devised the We Are Cork Youth Challenge in partnership with Cork City Council, Cork County Council, Music Generation, Cork Sports Partnerships and others, in response to the Covid-19 crisis. It is hoped that thousands of Cork teenagers will get involved and focus their energies and have some fun in the process. CETB funds over 14 organisations to provide youth services throughout Cork city and county, as well as allocating grants to voluntary youth clubs and organisations, with the aim of achieving better outcomes and brighter futures for children.
CETB Youth Services issued the first participant newsletter, “News Zone” to all participants last week with the second newsletter being released today. This encourages further engagement and will showcase some of the fantastic challenges being undertaken on a weekly basis. Interested participants or potential participants can follow daily updates on CETB social media channels.
CETB Chief Executive, Denis Leamy, pointed out that all who take part and complete the challenges will earn a special edition commemorative medal, from the Lord Mayor and County Mayor. “Travel restrictions, the widespread cancellation of summer camps and traditional summer activities have made this a very different summer holiday experience for many young people. CETB has moved quickly to help fill the void, and I urge as many young people as possible to participate,” added Mr. Leamy.
The We Are Cork Youth Challenge will involve young people uploading videos of their challenges completed to Microsoft’s free, easily accessed and secure FLIPGRID app and social media channels which will be moderated by CETB. Engagement increased greatly last week on the Microsoft Flipgrid platform, with over 120 challenges completed by young people across the city and county, along with over 30 hours of Challenge engagement.
For more information on the We Are Cork Youth Challenge, contact [email protected].
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