Seachtain Seas Suas le BelongTo 14ú-18ú Samhain
Seo deis iontach a bheith páirteach i seacthain Seas Suas 2016 le BelongTo!Táimíd ag lorg an scáth báistí is fearr ó scoileanna dara-leibhéal in Éireann.Déan "Grá Báistí" i do scoil agus seol pictúir chugainn ar studentvoice@issu.ie.Thuile eolas agus achmhainní ar an bhfeachtas le fáil ar: http://www.belongto.org/campaign.aspx
Maintenance Grant 2012-2013 Information for New Entrants
Going to College? Apply for a Maintenance Grant TODAY!
If you will be starting college (or a new course) in college next September, you can apply for a maintenance grant now. You do not need to know what course or where you will be studying to apply.How do I apply?
- Register on www.grantsonline.ie with your PPS number.
- Log into the system and complete your application (this can be saved).
- When you submit your application, you will get a confirmation e-mail.
- Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) will contact you by post with following an initial assessment. You may be asked to post them photocopies of documents to support your application (e.g. tax certificates, proof of address etc.).
An information video about applying for a maintenance grant is available here. Am I eligible for a maintenance grant?There are four criteria under which grant applications are assessed, you must fulfill all four criteria. Full details are available on www.studentfinance.ie.
- You must be studying an approved course at an approved institution.
- Your gross income must fall at or below specified levels to qualify for a grant and to determine what the amount of that grant would be. Full details are available here (http://www.studentfinance.ie/mp9556/check-reckonable-income-limits/index.html)
- You must have been resident in Ireland for 3 out of the last 5 years.
- You must hold (1) EU, EEA or Swiss Nationality; (2) Humanitarian leave to remain in the State; (3) Official Refugee status; or (4) Permission to remain in Ireland as you are married to an EU national employed here.
NB: This document does not purport to be a legal interpretation of the Student Grant Scheme 2012 and it does not cover all aspects of the measures contained therein. Copies of the Scheme and Regulations 2012 can be downloaded from www.studentfinance.ie or can be accessed from Local Authorities or Vocational Education Committees. The Student Grant Scheme and Regulations 2011 are liable to change during the academic year.
President Higgins invites young people to offer their Vision for Ireland
The President of Ireland wants to hear your visionPresident Higgins invites young people to offer their vision for Ireland
President Higgins is inviting young Irish people to make multimedia submissions on their vision for Ireland to his Being Young and Irish consultation and seminar. Being Young and Irish is the first in a series of Presidency Seminars.Young people aged 17 to 26 years can use whatever media suits them best to put forward their vision for Ireland. Examples include narrative, song, poetry, video or audio recordings. In their submission to www.president.ie or via post to Áras an Uachtaráin young Irish people at home and abroad should address the following questions:· What is your vision for Ireland? · What can you and other young people do to achieve this? · What else needs to happen to make your proposals possible? The deadline for submissions to the multimedia consultation for Being Young and Irish is 29 September 2012. Find out how to make a submission here (http://www.president.ie/
State Examinations 2012
Irish Second-Level Students’ Union
PRESS STATEMENT *FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 05/06/12*
On the eve of the first day of the 2012 state examinations, thousands of Junior and Leaving Cert students across the country are thinking anxiously about their impending exams and trying to get as much last minute study done as possible.The State Exams are an extremely stressful time for students and the run up to these exams is often a time when students depend on Guidance Counsellors in schools most. For Leaving Certificate students especially, Guidance Counsellors provide an essential support as students are also faced with the stresses of deciding what path to follow when they leave school. Therefore, the Irish Second-level Students’ Union calls on the Department of Education and Skills to ensure that there will be no further threats to the provision of Guidance Counselling services in schools. A student’s mental health and well being is as important as the provision of education in schools and should not be allowed to suffer.The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union will be keeping an online blog (www.issu.ie) during the state examinations with daily contributions from Junior Cert, Leaving Cert Applied and Leaving Cert students from across the country as well as official commentary on each paper from the ISSU.Top tips on exam best practices as well as how to keep stress levels to a minimum can also be found on www.issu.ieOn behalf of all the ISSU team, we would like to wish all students beginning the state examinations tomorrow, the very best of luck. ***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 info@issu.ie or call 01 443 4461.
New iConnect Card ‘Means Big Savings for Students’
Second-level students can now make big savings in almost 100 outlets across the country when they sign up to the new ‘recession-buster’ iConnect Student ID and Discount Card.And students who purchase the new iConnect card before March 31 2012 will be in with a chance to win two return flights to New York!The iConnect Card is the only dedicated ID and discount card for second-level students and young people aged 12-18 years.The card has been developed jointly by the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU) and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) as part of their innovative YouthConnect programme http://www.youth-connect.ie/The card costs just €13 and is available in schools nationwide, online at www.studentcard.ie, or by calling into any USIT office.Students who purchase the card before March 31, 2012 and visit the iConnect Facebook page to share the competition link will be entered into the draw for a prize of two return tickets to New York, courtesy of Delta Air Lines.Speaking at the iConnect launch, Leanne Caulfield of ISSU said: “This card is the perfect recession tonic for students and their parents – giving young people the chance to make real savings!Fiona Dunne of YouthConnect said: “Sign up and get involved, this is a great opportunity for hard-pressed students.”ENDS 
You can count on ISSU
Embrace your voice and embark on a journey of change with ISSU. Remember ISSU is…
- Independent
- Trusted
- Reliable
First and foremost, ISSU is here for you. We’ve got your back. We strive for the active, real and democratic participation of second-level students in our education system and in society, in general. Our generation tends to get a lot of negative media attention and we’re now branded "ashes" of the once all mighty ‘Celtic Tiger’. We, the so called ‘celtic tiger cubs’, face the challenges of a modern world – challenges that are not even know yet. We are being educated for jobs that don’t yet exist, entrusted with the debt of a decade of selfish greed – but we can’t voice our concerns?We don’t tell you what you want us to say. We have our own voice.ISSU brings about real change. Now is your time to infulence it. "Become a leader - not a follower"[pro-player width='530' height='253' type='video']http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC6N0qIf4eM[/pro-player][pro-player width='530' height='253' type='video']http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J89vz7tfN-k[/pro-player]