The development of young people as leaders is core to the work of Foróige. Leadership is learning, listening, dreaming and working together to unleash the potential of people’s time, talent and treasure for the common good (Wheeler and Edlebeck, 2006). Partnerships with Atlantic Philanthropies and the Ireland Chamber of Commerce USA (ICCUSA) provided the opportunity to develop an evidence based, manualised programme for leadership.
The programme now runs in clubs, projects and schools across the country, as well as annually at the Albert Schweitzer Leadership for Life Conference, and combines with an additional module for the NUI Galway accredited Foundation Certificate in Youth Leadership and Community Action.
The programme aims to
- Enable young people to develop the skills, inspiration, vision, confidence and action plans to be effective leaders
- Empower young people to make a positive difference to their society through the practice of effective leadership
The programme uses group work and individual reflection, as well as practical projects to develop and expand leadership skills. Young people learn to look past themselves at their community and wider society when setting their leadership goals.
Module One introduces participants to the concepts of leadership and the core skills necessary to be a good leader. Participants devise a personal leadership goal and begin planning and working towards achieving this, alongside workshops focusing on communication skills, self awareness, values and team problem solving.
Module Two builds on the learning from module one, with participants continuing to develop core competencies, while also working on a team project investigating local, community or global issues. Module two also covers conflict resolution, critical thinking and debating. To run module two in your club or project contact your local Foroige office.
Module Three If you have already completed module one and module two, either through the taught programme or at the conference you are eligible to apply for Module 3, which is accredited by the National University of Ireland, Galway. This involves doing a community project, compiling a portfolio of your work and submission of this and your module 1 & 2 workbooks to the University for grading. If you require any further informationon this module please contact