Trio of Cork teams claim Young Social Innovators awards

Three teams from Cork received awards at the 2026 Young Social Innovators (YSI) Awards ceremony in Dublin.

The annual event, which celebrates excellence in youth-led innovation, aims to recognise secondary school students whose projects are driving real change in Irish communities.

This year, two projects from Coláiste Pobail Bheanntraí and one project from Cork Educate Together Secondary School (CETSS) were awarded on the night.

The two recognised projects from BCC include ‘Code4Life’, a mobile app which details every Automated External Defibrillator in the community, and ‘Project Prometheus’, which is an AI powered wearable translation device designed to break down language barriers for students from diverse backgrounds.

The ‘Code4Life’ project was honoured with the Healthy Lives & Sexual Health Award, whereas ‘Project Prometheus’ was honoured with the Tech for Good Award.

The CETSS project recognised was ‘Cork Commemorates’, which was a campaign to secure a permanent statue of Frederick Douglass in Cork City.

The campaign included activism workshops and the production of an illustrated children’s book on the life of Mr Douglass, which was honoured with the Spirit of YSI Award.