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.
Currently there are close to 200 young people registered for the challenge which kicked off on June 22nd.
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.
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.
Filling the void
CETB Youth Services issued the first participant newsletter, ‘News Zone’ to all participants last week with the second newsletter was released this week.
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.
For more information on the Challenge, contact youthchallenge@corketb.ie
