Stand Up Week 14th - 18th November
We are delighted to be supporting BeLonG To for its amazing Stand Up! Campaign. While many LGBT young people develop their sexual and gender identities within supportive families and communities, some experience homophobia, transphobia and exclusion on an ongoing basis.For more information on Stand Up! Week, including details of how your school can get involved, visit their website here.BeLonG To’s Stand Up! campaign calls on young people across Ireland to support their LGBT friends, and has been identified as one of the key actions schools can take under the Government’s National Action Plan on Bullying. This year’s Stand Up! Week takes place from 14-18th November.During Stand Up! Week teachers and youth workers will offer all young people who participate in their centre/school the opportunity to participate in fun and educational activities. These will increase awareness, build supportive links among young people and reduce the incidence of bullying and name-calling.According to Dr Carol-Anne O'Brien, BeLonG To's Director of Advocacy, “Stand Up! tackles bullying by bringing a positive message of friendship to all students. It also tells LGBT young people that they are not alone, and they do not have to suffer or witness homophobic or transphobic bullying in their schools.” Want to be involved?Why not make a rainbow in your school to celebrate Stand Up Week! Send a photo of your rainbow to studentvoice@issu.ie to be in with a chance of winning a free LGBT+ campaign talk for your school! 
Project Rainbow
What is the purpose?This competition hopes achieve a series of goals:1. Send a strong message, it's ok to be whatever sexuality you want and it's not ok to be suppressed.2. Increase collaboration amongst lgbt+ students and students in support of lgbt+.3. Help end homophobic bullying in post primary schools.4. Allow students to express through art themselves in a colorful visual display.What's the prize?The ISSU will organise an LGBTQ+ speaker to come to your school and do a free talk.What's the deadline?Deadline for entrants is the 25th of November.How is it judged?The Welfare and Equality panel will be shown photos of the all applications and will then narrow them down to their favourite 10. Photos of the top 10 applications will then be posted on Facebook. There will then be an open vote between the 25th of November- 2nd of December. The winner will be the photo with the most likes at the end of the voting period.How do I enter?1.Set up a committee/ group in your school that will make the display.2. Think of ideas and then construct your creation.3. Take a picture of your display and email it to studentvoice@issu.ie along with a tittle for your project and the school you attend.What requirements should the display follow?1. Must contain at least 5 of the seven colours in a rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo,violet).2. Must be made in your school and by students.3. Needs to be put in a prominent spot to make sure large numbers of students see it.4. Should be as big and creative as possible.5. It should be made in group, the bigger the group the better there are no limits on number of students that can take part.
ISSU's 'Tools for Inclusive Schools' event
Next week, on the 16th of November, we will be hosting our International Students Day event. The event is called 'ISSU's Tools for Inclusive Schools' and will focus on the integration of migrant and refugee students in second level schools in Ireland. The day will feature a number of inspiring guest speakers and exciting workshops, and we will even make our own 'Student's Charter for Inclusive Schools' . Travel costs will be reimbursed and lunch will be provided - so you have no excuse not to go!
ISSU Annual Assembly 2017
Represent your student council at the Irish Second-Level Students' Union Annual Assembly 2017!
The largest statutory meeting in the ISSU calendar will include national elections to our Student Executive Board, union policy, constitutional amendments, and annual reports.There'll also be a forum for debate and discussion around student councils in and student rights in Ireland, as well as student representation and political influence.
Register here: https://form.jotform.com/70442876018963
Meet Our Officers: Cárthach Ó Faoláin, Deputy President
My name is Cárthach Ó Faoláin and I currently hold the position ofDeputy President in the Union. I come from the Rinn Ó gCuanachGaeltacht village in Co. Waterford where I attended both primary andsecondary schools; Scoil Náisiúnta na Rinne and Meánscoil San Nioclás.I recently moved to Cork City to study Law & Irish in UniversityCollege Cork.Previous to being elected last Spring, I had been active and remain tobe active in the Youth Empowerment/Youth Work scene locally andnationally. From the beginning of my secondary education I was amember of 'Waterford County (later a joint Waterford group) Comhairlena nÓg' where I sat on the National Executive (alongside our PresidentJane as it happens, who represented Cork County). Following my termending in Comhairle na nÓg I was invited to join the working group,the National Implementation team for Structured Dialogue in Ireland-'Young Voices' by a former Nat. Exec. facilitator. Here we work onimplementing EU youth policy in Ireland.Young Voices provided me with many opportunities to gain experienceand represent young people, such as speaking at many events aroundIreland, and most excitingly, I was selected to be one of three IrishYouth Delegates at the 2016 EU Youth Conference in Amsterdam,Netherlands last April, and will represent Irish young people again inKosice in Slovakia in October.Educational interests include Culture, Language, Education Reform andHealthy lifestyle and I hope to work on these themes during my term asDeputy President.
Meet Our Officers: Rob O'Donnell, Honorary President
Hi my name is Rob O'Donnell.I'm a second year Engineering with Management Student in Trinity College Dublin. I was also a student of the Abbey School, Tipperary. I'm from County Limerick originally. I was elected in 6th year and is on his second year of his term. I also previously held the roles of International Officer and Secretary, and now sit as the Honorary President with the Irish Second-Level Students' Union.