From Banbridge to Germany

brainstorming their competition project of helping female athletes feel confidence and support from their peers

Following Build Your Future Dublin’s successful booth in Banbridge’s Build Your Future Teen Market in June, five students have decided to implement new projects in order to compete in Europe’s ‘Build Your Future Challenge’ in November.

Those students, split into two teams, will build business plans in order to solve social issues around females in sports and dis-engaged 15-17-year-old teenagers in schools.

The two projects submitted:

1. ‘Edu-changing’ is comprised of Aaron Dunne and Jack Kenna, will add a class entitled ‘YouTube’ into transition year curriculum. Using it both as a how-to class and a supplement to other teachers’ efforts, these men hope it will re-engage students who would otherwise be not as involved in their transition year studies. It will provide business skills (via making and marketing their video), social commentary (via reading and responding to peer comments), and add to their learning in other classes (via searching for help videos).
2. Though as yet untitled, the second project team is comprised of Abdul Alsafadi, Michael Hanigan, and Michelle Tian. They are busy creating a smartphone app which will provide a peer-to-peer online forum for teenage female athletes. Citing that female feel a lack of representation and support in their athletics, this app will give them confidence, some skill-building, and a sense of community among other teenage female athletes.

The idea of the BYF CHALLENGE is for young people who participate in the “Build Your Future” (BYF) programme to put into practice what they have learned during the 5 Course Modules and develop a real (social) entrepreneurship idea which solves a problem in their community. Invited to participate are all participants of the BYF programme in Italy, Ireland, Northern Ireland (UK), Germany, Croatia, Slovakia and Romania in teams which are made up of module graduates as well as young people who have not yet participated in the programme.