At the end of September, a group of ECO-UNESCO’s ECO-Youth Choices Peer Educators (youth coordinators) saw the culmination of months of hard work during their ‘X-HALE Forum; our community, our future’. The project, in conjunction with the Irish Cancer Society, focused on the environmental, social and economic impacts of cigarettes, from their source and production through to their consumption and disposal. The Youth Coordinators researched and created an impressive installation to present the facts in an interesting way.

The forum was attended by 50 Transition Year students from Drimnagh Castle CBS and Assumption Secondary School, D 12, the day’s events kicked off with an introduction from ECO-UNESCO’s National Director, Elaine Nevin, and the CEO of the Irish Cancer Society, John McCormack, the Youth Coordinators then took charge and led an array of exciting activities, in their introduction Warren (Youth Coordinator) asked everyone to approach the day ‘honestly’ in order to get the most out of it.

Fun meet and greets, quizzes, lively debates and creative workshops followed. The day was a huge success for those participating and the Youth Coordinators. The 5 Youth Coordinators will go on to present their Installation again on 2nd November at the X-HALE Youth Awards Annual Expo in Croke Park and they plan to enter their project in the ECO-UNESCO Young Environmentalist Awards 2012.

Thanks to John McCormack, CEO of the ICS, and the Youth Coordinators themselves for a great event!