A sustainability event co-designed by young people from Cork took place on Sunday, 24th March to celebrate the completion of the first year of the Generation Glas programme – a joint initiative between BiOrbic, Ireland’s national bioeconomy research centre, and Foróige, the leading youth organisation in Ireland.
The Climate Collective event was co-designed by young people from Foróige youth projects who completed the course from Glanmire, Mahon and Castletownbere. Celebrations saw Red Abbey Court in Cork City turned green to mark the occasion.
The Generation Glas programme supports 15-18-year-olds to become sustainability ambassadors, so that they can engage underrepresented groups in green issues, including through the delivery of co-designed sustainability events in their own communities.
The free, public event was an opportunity for the young climate action champions from Cork to put their new knowledge and skills into action, and they co-delivered a line-up that included climate games, an art display, chats, live music by a youth band and a clothes swap.
THE FIRST GENERATION GLAS
Thirteen young people from three underserved communities in County Cork took part in year one of Generation Glas. Over the course of the programme, they participated in workshops in youth climate justice and ocean conservation, delivered tree-planting and sustainability talks in schools and an art gallery, undertook three field-trips and attended 14 online sessions.
They also staged six sustainability events that attracted a total of around 300 attendees, in addition to co-designing the Climate Collective event.
‘EMPOWERING’ OUR YOUTH
Generation Glas project coordinator, Conor Haugh, congratulated the young sustainability ambassadors on their Climate Collective event.
“Generation Glas is about leveraging the energy, passion and potential that young people in the whole of society in Ireland can bring to pressing environmental issues. The programme recognises the capacity of youth to galvanise their local communities, and empowers them with the expertise and confidence to be a key part of the solution to our climate challenges. We’re looking forward to seeing the young sustainability ambassadors going on to make further impact around climate action in their local communities by putting on more engaging events to connect with people, build networks and share their knowledge.”
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Welcoming its continued partnership with BiOrbic, Marina Lambrakis from Foróige said: “We are very proud of our young members and their aptitude for becoming knowledgeable, confident ambassadors for sustainability. Their Climate Collective event is proof of how the new skills, knowledge and self-belief they gained through the Generation Glas programme can help them make a difference.”
Generation Glas will run for a second time starting in July 2024, with more information available on www.biorbic.com/generation-glas
