What is Roots and Shoots?
Launched in September 2025 by Gaisce in partnership with Student Volunteer Ireland, Roots and Shoots gives third-level students opportunities to explore the links between local action and global impact through volunteering, collaboration, and Global Citizenship Education (GCE).
It 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 to date, the programme showcases the value of integrating volunteering and global citizenship into the student experience.
What's Involved in Roots and Shoots?
🌍To develop a deeper understanding of interconnected global issues and foster a sense of shared responsibility for addressing societal and environmental challenges
🏆The chance to get involved in important and impactful initiatives that contribute to achieving your Gaisce Award
💭Various workshops, events, and residential and collaborative learning experiences that support their roles as active, informed global citizens
❤️More opportunities for peer learning, leadership, and networking
🤝Enhanced collaboration between student volunteers and community partners, and increased student participation and engagement across more campuses
Participating Higher Education Institutions
- Atlantic Technological University (Donegal, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, St Angela’s)
- Dublin City University
- Dundalk Institute of Technology
- Technological University Dublin
- University College Cork
- University College Dublin
- University of Galway
- University of Limerick
- Dun Laoghaire Institute Of Art Design + Technology
- Royal College of Surgeons Ireland
- South East Technological University (Carlow, Waterford, Wexford)
Roots and Shoots: Gaisce Gold Residential
The 2026 Roots and Shoots: Gaisce Gold Residential ran from 9th – 11th January 2026 and 16th – 18th January 2026, across both Dublin and Galway.
As part of their Gaisce Gold Award, sixteen young people from all over Ireland joined us from across Ireland, including Meath, Roscommon, Offaly, Dublin, and Westmeath to take part in thought-provoking workshops and activities centred around Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how to make our world a more just and sustainable place.
In our Dublin workshops, we welcomed Charlotte Bishop (STAND), Áine O'Driscoll (Trócaire), Hussein Noor (Climate Resilience Officer and Trócaire Volunteer, Somalia), and Vicky Donnelly (Financial Justice Ireland) to explore themes of Global and Climate Justice, Justice and Solidarity, and Sustainable Development.
In our Galway workshops, we had the opportunity to hear from Mark Kelly (ESD Academy, ATU), Dr Lorraine Tansey (Student Volunteer Ireland), Marie-Anne Michel (Trócaire), Mariyam Bangura (Trócaire Volunteer, Sierra Leone), and Avril Ryan (Gaisce CEO). Here, participants explored Sustainable Development Goals, Advocacy and Global Citizenship, Effective Advocacy Campaigns, Power and Influence, and Impactful Advocacy.
Across both weekends, participants also had the chance to present their ideas and opinions, prepare and share meals together, play board games, explore nature, and, most importantly, build friendships that will last well beyond the Residential.
The Gold Residential is often a highlight of the Gold Award journey for many Gaisce Participants. It's a fantastic opportunity to step out of your comfort zone, meet new people, and take on new challenges during a 5-day, 4-night stay in unfamiliar surroundings. As part of the Roots and Shoots partnership between Gaisce and Student Volunteer Ireland, we can offer participants the chance to take part in a powerful, inspiring, and fun Residential Project!
Want to get involved? We will be running our next Gaisce Gold Residential in January 2027! Be sure to keep an eye out on our social media and website for more details very soon!
Roots and Shoots Student Volunteering Conference
In March 2026, the Roots and Shoots Student Volunteering Conference took place at University College Cork (UCC) and online.
This conference celebrated student leadership, bold ideas, and the transformative partnerships that empower campuses to shape a fairer, more sustainable world. It also encouraged students to see their service as part of a broader movement toward social justice and sustainability and how they can integrate their existing or planned volunteer activities into completing their Gaisce Award.
Students explored how to blend passions for serving others into Gaisce journeys, using volunteering as a pathway to personal development, confidence-building, and meaningful social contribution.
Through talks, discussions, and lived experience stories, the conference explored:
- What volunteering looks like in local Irish communities.
- How students can use their existing volunteering activities to achieve their Gaisce Award.
- How volunteering takes shape within communities in countries of the Global South
- How students can make a global impact through local action.
- Voices and experiences of student volunteers from around the world
Events and experiences like these are offered to students who join Roots and Shoots. Through the initiative, students can gain valuable experiences, thought-provoking insights, and connect with like-minded, driven individuals!
We will be running our next in-person volunteering conference in Semester 2, planned for early 2027. Make sure you are following us on social media to be notified once dates are released!
FAQs
Is Training Provided? Yes! We provide online training and in-person workshops in some of the participating universities. If interested, do reach out to organise one in your university club/society.
What Tasks will I be Expected to Undertake? This project is designed with students in mind, as we seek to transform student volunteering and action into a powerful tool for global awareness and community engagement. It will provide students with opportunities to engage as active citizens, making meaningful contributions across their local and global environments.
What are the Benefits of Volunteering? This initiative allows students to educate themselves about global issues, attend various workshops and events, gain invaluable skills and experiences, meet like-minded individuals and share ideas, build up their CVs and make a difference, all while contributing to achieving your Gaisce Award!
What are the Minimum Time Commitments Per Week? Time commitments may vary. There is no weekly requirement, but this programme will provide engagement opportunities for students through events and workshops. We understand students have busy schedules, and we want to make this programme accessible and easy to manage.
What Sustainable Development Goals will this Achieve? Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education!
Curious and Critical GCE: Listen Now!
Gaisce National Development Manager Clíodhna Malone, and Student Volunteer Ireland Programme Manager, Dr Lorraine Tansey, chat with Dr Brighid Golden, lecturer in MIC, all about Roots and Shoots, how you can get involved and how your work can make a real difference at both a local and global level.
