Donegal Teenagers Keelin Mulhearn, Anita Robinson, Ciara Crawford, Katie Hoad and Paddy Gillespie.
Five Donegal teenagers have graduated from a programme designed to inspire them to become great leaders.
Keelin Mulhearn and Paddy Gillespie from Ballyshannon, Anita Robinson from Glenfin, Ciara Crawford from Frosses and Katie Hoad from Inver were joined by more than 300 other young people from across Ireland and around the world during a recent graduation ceremony to mark the end of the 5th annual Foróige Albert Schweitzer Leadership for Life International Youth Conference.
The leadership programme and annual conference is run by Foróige in partnership with ICCUSA, the Irish Chamber of Commerce – United States of America.
The programme is open to teenagers in every country and the conference was attended by young delegates from the USA, Palestine, South Korea, Northern Ireland, India, Nigeria and Kenya.
As part of the week-long conference, inspirational lectures were given by Olympic boxing silver medallist Kenneth Egan as well as the Irish head of internet giant PayPal Louise Phelan.
The programme also includes workshops on team building, critical thinking and communication skills and peer discussions on matters of global importance.
Hollywood star Matt McCoy acts as the ongoing ambassador to the leadership programme and mentored the young delegates during the conference.
Matt McCoy has most recently featured in some of the USA’s biggest shows The Mentalist and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, though he is probably best known for starring in two ‘Police Academy’ films, ‘L.A. Confidential’ and ‘The Hand that Rocks the Cradle’. Speaking at the launch, Matt said:
“This is the fifth year I’ve been back in Ireland for the conference and I must admit, this has been the best yet. The young people attending have gained skills to become true leaders of their own lives, of their communities, of businesses, of causes and of countries.
“They have the drive and passion to make the world around them a better place. It really is inspirational and I’m delighted to be in the front row witnessing the first steps in the journey of our next generation of world leaders.”
Foróige Chief Executive Seán Campbell said: “Now more than ever, we need to help young people cultivate the skills and qualities they need to become great leaders.
“Young people who take part in the conference look at themselves differently, they see that they have the power to stand up and be counted as citizens of the world. Not only that, they see that they have the capability and the talents to make the world around them a better one, not just for themselves but for generations to come. It’s a hugely positive experience and one that Foróige is extremely proud of.”
The young people must complete three modules in order to fully graduate from the programme. At the end of the conference, the 300 delegates received certificates for completing various stages of the programme.
The conference comes after the recent publication of an independent study into the Foróige Albert Schweitzer Leadership for Life Programme which found that teenagers who actively engage in leadership training manifest key skills including social skills, self-control, confidence, assertiveness and a sense of achievement.
The study, conducted by Dr. Sue Redmond at NUI Galway and overseen by Professor Mark Brennan from Penn State University, USA, was conducted over an 18 month period amongst 400 young people who participated in the Foróige Albert Schweitzer Leadership for Life Progamme.
The study also found that an increase in female representation in leadership roles throughout society, including business, politics and public service, is needed.
Tags: