Record 30,000 Young People Register for Gaisce Awards as Ireland's Youth Volunteer Spirit Soars
Nearly 30,000 young people have signed up for the Gaisce Awards in what organisers are calling the most successful year in the programme's four-decade history, with participants collectively contributing more than 423,000 hours of voluntary service to communities the length and breadth of Ireland.
Background
The Gaisce Awards — formally known as Gaisce: Gradam an Uachtaráin, or the President's Award — were established in 1985 as a national personal development programme for young people aged 14 to 25. Modelled on the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, the scheme challenges participants across four areas: Community Involvement, Personal Skill, Physical Recreation, and an Adventure Journey. Gold-level participants must also complete a residential project. The programme is non-competitive by design, emphasising personal growth over achievement rankings.
Over the past four decades, Gaisce has quietly become one of the most significant youth development initiatives in the state, reaching into secondary schools, youth clubs, and community organisations in every county. Each participant is guided by a President's Award Leader — a trained volunteer mentor — who supports them through the programme's requirements. The scheme has long been championed by successive Presidents of Ireland as a vehicle for building civic character and community connection among the country's young people.
In recent years, the organisation has made a concerted effort to extend its reach into schools serving disadvantaged communities. The results of that effort are now visible in the data: participation within DEIS schools — those designated as serving areas of educational disadvantage — rose by 21 per cent in the most recent reporting year, a figure that organisers describe as one of the most encouraging developments in the programme's history.
Key Developments
The latest figures show that 29,299 young people registered for the Gaisce Awards during the most recent programme year, with 17,641 successfully completing their chosen award level. The programme is now available in 81 per cent of secondary schools across Ireland, a coverage rate that reflects years of sustained outreach by the organisation's regional coordinators.
The 423,000 hours of volunteering contributed by participants represents a substantial injection of civic energy into communities across the country. From beach clean-ups in Connemara to befriending schemes in Dublin's inner city, from sports coaching in Limerick to heritage conservation projects in Kilkenny, the breadth of community involvement undertaken by Gaisce participants spans virtually every aspect of Irish civic life.
Research commissioned by the organisation reveals striking outcomes for those who complete the programme. Some 89 per cent of surveyed participants identified a stronger sense of purpose as a primary benefit of their involvement. Ninety per cent reported developing lifelong skills, while 80 per cent said they felt an increase in personal confidence. Half of those surveyed indicated they expected to draw on skills gained through Gaisce to support their future careers.
Why It Matters
The Gaisce milestone arrives at a moment when concerns about youth disengagement from civic life are frequently aired in public discourse. The record registration figures offer a counterpoint to that narrative — evidence that, given the right structures and encouragement, young Irish people are willing to invest significant time and energy in their communities and in their own development.
The 21 per cent increase in DEIS school participation is particularly significant. Historically, youth development programmes of this kind have tended to attract participants from more affluent backgrounds, where parental support, transport, and free time are more readily available. The shift in Gaisce's demographic reach suggests that targeted outreach and the involvement of school-based mentors is beginning to break down those barriers. For context, DEIS schools serve approximately 180,000 pupils across Ireland — a substantial cohort that has historically been underrepresented in extracurricular achievement programmes.
The volunteering hours figure also deserves attention. At 423,000 hours, the collective contribution of Gaisce participants represents a meaningful supplement to the formal voluntary sector, particularly in rural areas where community organisations often operate on minimal resources. This is the third consecutive year in which the total volunteering contribution has exceeded 400,000 hours, suggesting the trend is structural rather than a one-off spike.
Local Impact
Across Ireland, the practical effects of Gaisce participation are visible in communities large and small. In Dublin, participants have been involved in befriending programmes for elderly residents in Ballymun and Clondalkin, as well as environmental projects along the Grand Canal. In Cork, Gaisce participants have contributed to heritage conservation work in the city's Victorian Quarter and to sports coaching initiatives in Knocknaheeny. In Galway, participants have supported Irish language promotion projects in the Connemara Gaeltacht. In rural counties such as Leitrim and Roscommon, where the voluntary sector is stretched thin, Gaisce participants have provided meaningful support to local sports clubs, tidy towns committees, and community gardens. The programme's reach into DEIS schools in Limerick's Southill and Moyross estates has been cited by local youth workers as a particularly positive development.
What's Next
Gaisce organisers will present the full annual report to the President of Ireland at Áras an Uachtaráin later this month, a ceremony that traditionally recognises Gold Award recipients from across the country. The organisation has indicated it intends to push participation in DEIS schools above 25 per cent by the end of 2027, with additional funding sought from the Department of Children to support expanded mentoring capacity. A new digital platform for tracking participant progress is also expected to launch before the end of the year, aimed at reducing administrative burden on school-based President's Award Leaders.
