Research projects undertaken on behalf of or relating to Gaisce – The President’s Award.

Title: A Study of Gaisce – The President’s Award and Employability in the Irish context

Author: School of Business, Maynooth University

Date published: October, 2025

Descriptor: An independent report exploring perspectives of Gaisce on employability in Ireland

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Title: Embedding the Sustainable Development Goals and Global Citizenship Education in Gaisce – The President’s Award: Context, Issues and Options for Action

Author: Dr Jamie Gorman, Centre for Youth Research & Development, Department of Applied Social Studies, Maynooth University

Date published: 2023

Descriptor: A report on the work of Gaisce in the areas of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), climate justice and Global Citizenship Education (GCE)

Title: The Impact of ‘Gaisce – The  President’s Award’ on Young  Adults in Irish Prisons, A Qualitative Evaluation Report

Authors: Silvia Gagliardi and Orlaith Rice

Date published: 2023

Descriptor: This report provides a small scale qualitative evaluation of Gaisce for young adults in Irish prisons.

the-impact-of-gaisce-the-presidents-award-on-young-adults-in-irish-prisons

Title: Through Hope and Struggle: The Impact of “Gaisce – The President’s Award” on Young Adults in Irish Prisons

Authors: Silvia Gagliardi and Orlaith Rice

Date published: 2023

Descriptor: This article is an exploratory study of young adult incarcerees’ perspectives on the impact of “Gaisce,” a self-development program for youth in Irish custody.

Link: Through Hope and Struggle: The Impact of “Gaisce – The President’s Award” on Young Adults in Irish Prisons – Silvia Gagliardi, Orlaith Rice, 2023

Title: An exploration of the value youth mentors attach to their role in Gaisce – The President’s Award Irish national self-development programme

Author: Philip J. Mangan, University College Cork

Date published: September 2020

Descriptor: Drawing on quantitative survey data and semi-structured qualitative interviews, the study examined the value which school-based President’s Award Leaders (PALs) perceive is attached to the role they play in mentoring young people through the Gaisce programme.

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It made you feel you had self-worth

Title: ‘It made you feel you had self-worth’: Does Gaisce – The President’s Award act as catalyst in the enhancement of the psychological attributes of: hope, self-efficacy, self-esteem, happiness, and psychological well-being in its participants?

Authors: Dr Niamh Clarke MacMahon and Dr. Gary O’Reilly, School of Psychology, University College Dublin

Date published: 2015

Descriptor: Independent doctoral research which examined whether participation in Gaisce—The President’s Award acts as a catalyst for the enhancement of the positive psychological attributes of hope, self-efficacy, self-esteem, happiness and psychological well-being in its participants. In addition, the study investigated whether Gaisce—The President’s Award programme meets the inclusion criteria to be termed a Positive Youth Development Programme.