H2O Heroes and United Youth Initiative (UYI) Join Forces with Gaisce – The President’s Award as Official Challenge Partners

This exciting collaboration will open new pathways for young people across the region to engage in meaningful community action, personal development and environmental education. Through these programmes, participants can work towards their Gaisce Awards—with H2O Heroes, participants can achieve their Bronze, Silver and Gold Award Levels, and with UYI, participants can complete their Bronze Award.

H2O Heroes, based at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DKIT), is an award-winning environmental education and citizen science programme that promotes global citizenship and empowers young people to explore water quality, biodiversity and sustainability. Through hands-on fieldwork, science communication training and community outreach, H2O Heroes provides volunteers with the knowledge and skills to become leaders in environmental stewardship and public engagement.

United Youth Initiative (UYI) is a cross-border, cross-community youth engagement programme funded under the PEACEPLUS programme and delivered by a consortium of partners including Healthy Kidz, Boys & Girls Clubs NI, Peace Players and DKIT. As a Gaisce Challenge Partner, UYI provides young people with an inclusive, empowering and structured pathway to complete their Gaisce Award challenges.

UYI (United Youth Initiative) brings a complementary focus, offering youth in urban and disadvantaged areas new opportunities to develop leadership skills, build resilience, and engage in positive community development projects. UYI supports participants through creative learning, sport, personal skill-building and community service activities. UYI is built around a 13-week programme for Gaisce participants, focusing on shared learning to promote peacebuilding, youth development, environmental awareness, and building cohesive communities.

By becoming Gaisce Challenge Partners, both organisations will offer programmes that align with the Gaisce framework. Participants will engage in reflective practice, build leadership and communication skills, and contribute to real-world projects that have a lasting impact on their communities.

Gaisce - The President’s Award is Ireland’s national youth award and personal development programme for young people aged 14-25. It is a direct challenge from the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, to all young people to dream big and realise their potential. As Ireland’s National Non-Formal Education Youth Award, Gaisce offers invaluable benefits to young people by offering transformative learning experiences beyond the classroom.

To date, more than 520,000 young people have registered for Gaisce, with over 274,000 having achieved an award. In 2024 alone, over 27,000 young people registered—the highest number in Gaisce’s history.

Speaking about the new partnership, Dr Suzanne Linnane, Director of the Centre for Freshwater and Environmental Studies at DKIT, said:

"H₂O Heroes is about giving young people a real voice in science and sustainability. Through this partnership with Gaisce, our volunteers can take ownership of meaningful projects that promote environmental awareness and community engagement."

Paul Carvill, Founder Healthy Kidz and UYI Programme Manager said:

“We are delighted that H2O Heroes have been able to secure this partnership with Gaisce. Through the peace building United Youth Initiative programme funded by SEUPB PEACEPLUS we want to work with partners that will create a positive impact on the well-being and lives of thousands of young people from Irish county border areas and Northern Ireland. We strongly encourage young people in cross border areas to be involved in the United Youth Initiative and Gaisce partnership as we believe both will create positive change across different communities in the years ahead.”

UYI Project Lead in DKIT, Dr Caroline Gilleran Stephens added:

"We are really excited about what this partnership means for young people across the region. Through UYI, participants will engage in meaningful Gaisce challenges that help them build essential life skills, grow in confidence, and develop a strong sense of social responsibility. This is about more than just completing a programme, it is about supporting young people to become active, engaged citizens who feel empowered to make a difference in their communities."

This partnership represents a significant step toward expanding accessible and meaningful opportunities for young people to engage with their communities, develop essential life skills and play a leading role in shaping a more sustainable and inclusive Ireland.

Gaisce Development Officer, Mary Yore, said of the partnership:

‘’We’re delighted to welcome DKIT as an official Gaisce Challenge Partner! At Gaisce, we’re happy to partner with organisations like DKIT that offer young people new and exciting ways to work towards their Gaisce Award. Through programmes like H2O Heroes and United Youth Initiative (UYI), participants can engage with real-world issues—whether that’s exploring science and sustainability or developing essential life skills and social responsibility. These programmes reflect Gaisce’s commitment to supporting transformative learning experiences beyond the classroom and empowering young people to grow in confidence, realise their potential, and make a meaningful impact in their communities.’’

  For more information:

• Gaisce – The President’s Award: www.gaisce.ie
• H2O Heroes: www.h2oheroes.ie
• UYI – United Youth Initiative: https://healthy-kidz.com/united-youth-initiative/