2025 marks 40 years of Gaisce! #Gaisce40
In 1985, Ireland was in the midst of an economic recession, and the country's spirits were low. President Patrick J. Hillery saw an opportunity to build a bridge to a better future by creating a programme that would empower young people to fulfil their potential. On the 28th of October 1985, Gaisce – The President’s Award was launched at Áras an Uachtaráin to mark the UN’s International Year of Youth. To date, more than 520,000 young people have registered for a Gaisce Award, with 270,000 achieving their award. Gaisce is continuing to grow, with registrations increasing each year, empowering more
Online Event – Gold Portfolio Workshop – Support Session
Gold Portfolio Workshop - Support Session Next Session: The next Gold Portfolio Support Session will take place in February 2026. If you have any questions in the meantime, please reach out to your President’s Award Leader (PAL) or Gaisce Development Officer. Not available for registrations at this time. About the Session This online session is designed to support Gaisce Participants and President’s Award Leaders with the Gold Portfolio Challenge Area. Whether you're looking for inspiration, guidance, or motivation to progress with your Gold Portfolio, this session is the perfect opportunity to: ✔ Get ideas and advice ✔ Ask questions ✔
Gaisce Youth Ambassadors
Gaisce – The President’s Award is excited to introduce our very first Gaisce Youth Ambassador Panel! This amazing group of young people, from all across Ireland, bring fresh energy, unique perspectives, and a shared passion for making a difference. Our Youth Ambassadors are here to represent and inspire – sharing their Gaisce stories, connecting with their communities, and showing others the incredible possibilities that come with stepping outside your comfort zone. As part of the panel, they’ll take part in exciting training sessions, learn new skills, and explore topics like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), inclusion, and diversity. They’ll also
Gaisce Winter 2024 E-Zine
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Welcome to our Winter 2024 ezine. As we approach the end of another great year at Gaisce, we want to share some highlights from this year and what’s in store for next year! Our sincere thanks to all our Gaisce PALs for your incredible work throughout the year. We can’t wait to see the fantastic things your young people will achieve in 2025! Nollaig Shona Duit agus athbhliain faoi mhaise dhuit from all of us at Gaisce - The President’s Award. What's Coming Up Gaisce's 40th Anniversary In 2025, Gaisce will reach
Celebrating our 2024 Gaisce Gold Awardees!
One of the highlights in the Gaisce calendar is our annual Gaisce Gold Award ceremony, with this year’s event taking place on November 21st, 2024. President Michael D. Higgins proudly awarded 73 exceptional young people with their Gaisce Gold Award Medals, The Gold Awardees this year represent 17 counties and collectively completed more than 3,458 hours of volunteering throughout their Gaisce journey. 16 of the 73 awardees came through access and inclusion pathways. Gaisce participants this year mastered many skills, activities and projects, from learning Irish Sign Language and Chinese to hiking some of Ireland’s most challenging peaks, volunteering in
Gaisce Celebrates Lá Gaisce 2024
Our annual celebration of all things Gaisce took place on Wednesday 23rd October 2024. Lá Gaisce is a day for us to recognise and appreciate the ongoing achievements and perseverance of our thousands of young people, to acknowledge the challenges they’ve overcome, the dedication they've demonstrated, and the personal growth they have achieved. It’s also a chance to celebrate those who have achieved their award, as well as the President's Award Leaders, organisations, schools, and businesses that play a vital role in supporting the award. We saw massive support and engagement from all over Ireland, including secondary schools, youth organisations,
Gaisce Autumn 2024 E-Zine
Happy Autumn! As we look forward to the next few months, we are excited to bring some fantastic and informative events to PALs, including our Gaisce Gold Participant Meet Up and the new Gaisce Community Involvement Showcase. We will be announcing the members of Gaisce’s first Youth Ambassador Panel very soon, and we’re looking forward to meeting them all and working with them over the coming months. Our Lá Gaisce celebration for this year is almost here, and we can't wait to celebrate it with our PALs, partners, and participants. As we approach our 40th anniversary year in 2025, we are preparing our programme of events and activities to mark
Gaisce Challenge Partner Feature Page
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gaisce - The President’s Award (@gaisceaward) Take the challenge out of choosing your Challenge Area activities and discover exciting opportunities with our #GaisceChallengePartners! 😄 To simplify the process, we're launching a new feature page where you can search for Gaisce Challenge Partners and filter by region, Award Level and Challenge Area activities. 🎉 We are proud to partner with a fantastic range of organisations from all over Ireland that inspire Gaisce Participants with ideas for their Personal Skill, Community Involvement, and Physical Recreation Challenge Areas. 💛 Take a look
Gaisce SUAS Bursary Fund Applications Open for 2024/2025!
Watch this video to hear feedback from previous bursary recipients. President Michael D. Higgins in 2021 said: “Gaisce is driven by a commitment to a better society, by the enthusiasm, ability, and resilience of young people. Through the Gaisce programme, young people are encouraged and guided so that their innate talents and abilities, as well as their sense of citizenship and social agency, can be realised to their full potential” Gaisce – The President’s Award is delighted to launch our new Gaisce SUAS Bursary Fund. One of Gaisce's core values is Inclusion and Equality; every person having the opportunity to
PAL Pack 2024
PALs! We hope you had a relaxing summer and are feeling ready and motivated to support your Gaisce Participants. 😄🙌 We're delighted to release our 2024 PAL Pack to help you with the year ahead. Inside are all the new and exciting things we have planned for our PALs and Participants during this new academic year. 😊 Some of our upcoming events and announcements of note to check out are: 🗓️ Gaisce Community Involvement Showcase 🎤 Our NEW Gaisce Youth Ambassador Panel 🫶 Our NEW Gaisce SUAS Bursary Fund 💻 The NEW Gaisce Learning Hub And much more! ✨ Check
