Meet Our Officers: Chloe Griffin

 Hey Everyone, My name is Chloe Griffin and I am the Campaigns and Communications Officer of the ISSU. I am a Transition Year student in Scoil Ruáin which is a small school in Tipperary. This year I decided to run for office because I felt that the ISSU has so much potential to create stronger communication links with you guys and to get all interested people involved. One of the most effective ways to do this is through social media and by carrying out successful campaigns on matters that affect students directly so we can all join together and become stronger 'Ní neart go cur le chéíle' so they say!. Aside from student voice I have many other interests, I love sport and play basketball and football, with that I also love music and have played the piano and guitar.  I am very passionate about mental health and feel there is lots of room for schools to contribute to this subject. With that, I have planned to host a mental health awareness day entitled EMPOWER in February of this year to teach student councils how to introduce coping mechanisms into schools and to retrieve feedback from you guys and hear your ideas. I hope to see you all there! Also at the beginning of my term I decided to revive the ISSU Newsletter, every month it is filled with information and behind the scenes action on all things ISSU. You can subscribe on the newsletter section under Student Councils on our website.That’s it from me. Keep your eyes peeled on our facebook, twitter, snapchat and Instagram for all the latest.

WANTED: Student Representatives for ETB Boards

We in the ISSU are delighted to have been asked by Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairi Quinn TD, to be one of the nominating bodies for  each Education and Training Board (ETB).

We cannominate one male and one female who live in each ETB area, and the ETBs will meet before the end of July to decide which of the people nominated will be appointed to the Boards.

Postions on ETB boards are volutary but travel expenses are covered.  Meetings will generally be about every 2 months, and successful nominees will sit on the boards for 5 years.

To be considered for nomination, you must meet these criteria:

• Be living in the area of the relevant ETB;

• Be over the age of 18 on July 23rd;

• Be a current or relatively recent second-level student

• Ideally, you will have had some involvement in student councils or similar initiatives

What do I need to do?

Email your name, address and a brief background note to info@issu.ie before 5pm on Tuesday the 15th of July.

Protect our Education. Protect our Future.

Irish Second-level Students’ UnionPRESS STATEMENT *FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*Protect our Education. Protect our Future. 03/11/'10The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union has today urged policy makers to stand up for our future. Speaking today, an ISSU spokesperson said:“Recalling the words of Walt Disney ‘Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children’. Our country, our democracy, our society is at a crossroads. Difficult challenges face us, but what will define us as a nation is how we act and react to the decisions we must make. Investment in education should always be a priority, especially given the current unfavourable economic climate. Frontline education services, that affect the quality of the learning for our young people should be protected.Imposing any barrier to the access for education is reckless. It is unfair to further burden a generation, who ultimately will shoulder the brunt of the turbulent times that came before us. The ISSU is calling on the Department of Education and Skills to exhaust all possibilities in ensuring the learning of individual students or their access to education is not impinged.”__ENDS__Notes to Editor:ISSU is the national umbrella body for school Student Councils, aiming to represent and connect Irish second-level students the length and breadth of the country, ensuring that the voice of the Irish second-level student is heard and striving for innovation and democracy within the education system. ISSU is a not-for profit student rights organisation.At ISSU we believe that young people are not merely citizens in waiting - we deserve better, we deserve to be heard. We can and will contribute positively to society. It is so important that our voices, views and opinions are (i) heard (ii) listened to (iii) and most importantly respected. This is what ISSU is all about. We’re here for you.Our main aims include:-To provide training and development of second-level school Student Councils, in conjunction with relevant bodies.-To develop policies on issues affecting Irish second-level students and bring the needs and rights of students to the attention of the relevant authorities.-To provide a transparent, democratic and reliable organisation.-To work in collaboration with other educational institutions and bodies both in Ireland and Europe.-To work closely with educational curriculum policy makers and teachers’ unions to continually develop a transparent, fair and modern education system.-And most importantly, to give students a structured platform through which the voice of the Irish second-level student will be heard.ISSU represents students at a national level and is affiliated to; the WHEEL, NYCI, Anna Lindh Foundation, Stand up for Education Alliance, Children’s Mental Health Coalition and the Children’s Rights Alliance. On an international level, ISSU works closely with OBESSU. ISSU also works with curriculum development teams and various advisory bodies.Contact:www.issu.ie, email communications@issu.ie or call 01 443 4461.