21st August 2026: Following a successful first year, Gaisce – The President’s Award, in partnership with Student Volunteer Ireland, is delighted to announce the return of the Roots and Shoots: A Higher Education Global Citizenship Initiative for a second year, with continued support from Irish Aid.
Originally launched in September 2025, the initiative set out to provide third-level students undertaking their Gaisce Award with opportunities to explore the links between local action and global impact through volunteering, collaboration, and Global Citizenship Education (GCE). Roots and Shoots works to transform student volunteering into a powerful platform for global awareness, community engagement, and meaningful action. With over 200 students participating in workshops nationwide, the programme successfully demonstrated the value of integrating volunteering and global citizenship into the student experience.
Now entering its second year, Roots and Shoots will continue to empower students to become active citizens by deepening student engagement and strengthening connections between local action and global impact. This year’s programme will focus on increasing student participation across more campuses, enhancing collaboration between student volunteers and community partners, and providing additional opportunities for peer learning, leadership, and networking. Through workshops, events, and collaborative learning experiences, students will acquire valuable knowledge and skills while making meaningful contributions to their communities. They will also learn how to channel their passions into local actions that can have a global impact, and how their volunteering work can contribute to the Community Involvement Challenge Area of their Gaisce Award.
As the programme enters its second year, both organisations look forward to engaging a new group of students while building on the energy, insights, and impact achieved in Year One.
Speaking about the return of the Roots and Shoots initiative for a second year, Avril Ryan, CEO of Gaisce – The President’s Award, said:
“We can’t wait to welcome a new group of students to the second edition of the Roots and Shoots Initiative and support even more young people as they learn, lead and create positive change in their communities and beyond. This initiative reflects the core values of the Gaisce programme by empowering young people to challenge themselves, engage meaningfully with their communities, and grow as active citizens. Through Roots and Shoots, students can connect their local actions to broader global challenges, develop valuable skills and perspectives, and gain recognition for their commitment and contributions through their Gaisce Award. We extend our gratitude to Student Volunteer Ireland and Irish Aid for their ongoing support of the Gaisce programme and their dedication to helping young people grow. This partnership is invaluable, and we look forward to continuing this exciting new chapter.”
Speaking about Year Two of the initiative, Dr Lorraine Tansey, Programme Director of Student Volunteer Ireland, said:
“The continuation of our partnership reflects a shared commitment by Student Volunteer Ireland and Gaisce to empower young people to take informed action on global issues. Our programme assists students in exploring community solutions and understanding relationships across the globe, especially between the global north and the global south. The creative and dynamic spaces of Roots and Shoots build students’ knowledge of how to engage with global economic and social processes without feeling overwhelmed. It is very exciting to connect students across Ireland on the important themes of the Sustainable Development Goals, and we look forward to a brilliant year of collaboration.”
