Digital Youth Council calls on young leaders to join its ranks

10 Aug 2016

Over the past two years, there have been two elected councils, made up of more than 20 young people from across Ireland

One of the most exciting organisations to emerge in Ireland in recent years, the Digital Youth Council, which was created by young people and is led by them, is calling out for new members to join its ranks.

The Digital Youth Council of Ireland was the first of its kind to launch in Europe in August 2014, and now in 2016 the Digital Youth Council model has been replicated in both the UK and the Netherlands.

The Digital Youth Council was set up with the aim of gathering the views of young people in relation to STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) and to express these views to various Government departments and tech companies.

Digital Youth Council

The council will be raising the number of main council members from 12 to 15 this year. It will also only be accepting applications from students living in the Republic of Ireland.

Over the past two years, there have been two elected councils, made up of more than 20 young people from across Ireland.

‘This year’s council will have the exciting job of leading the council forward into its third year, and also leading some really exciting projects that we have in the pipeline’
– HARRY MCCANN

The list of alumni includes three Google Science Fair winners, five BT Young Scientist winners, the EU Digital Girl of the Year for 2015, four Eir Junior Spider award winners and Time magazine even named three of its members in its 25 Most Influential Teens worldwide list in 2014.

Founding members of the Digital Youth Council Ciara Judge, Lee Campbell and Harry McCann

Founding members of the Digital Youth Council: Ciara Judge, Lee Campbell and Harry McCann

“We are really excited to be opening applications again for the Digital Youth Council,” said Harry McCann, director of the Digital Youth Council in Ireland.

“Every year we are amazed by the huge amount of applications we get from talented young people across Ireland and have no doubt this year will be no different.”

To join the Digital Youth Council, potential members need to meet the following criteria: they must be in second-level education as of September 2016, and they must not be in a State examination year from September 2016-2017. They can apply by filling in the form here.

Applications must be submitted by 8pm on 23 August.

“This year’s council will have the exciting job of leading the council forward into its third year, and also leading some really exciting projects that we have in the pipeline,” McCann explained.

“They will also have the opportunity to work with other councils, which is something previous councils before them have never had the opportunity to do, but now that our idea has been replicated in both the UK and the Netherlands, this is now something we can do.”

Digital Revolution image via Shutterstock

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com