Social Action Projects
Creating Meaningful Impact
The goal of FFI's programs is to help young people become the best versions of themselves so they can help their community become the best version of itself. To work towards this, all participants of our Immersion Programs create a Social Action Project that addresses a need in their home community. They participate in a series of workshops that help them design their project, including creating a project online, setting goals, budgeting, and writing a proposal. Once these have been completed, participants create a presentation describing their project and their execution plan, including fundraising plan. FFI invited members of the community that they worked with or were inspired by on their programs to listen to their presentations and provide feedback.
We have organized each presentation from our 2022 cohort into topics below. We hope you enjoy hearing about each project.
Social Action Project Topics
Environment
Adedamola ('22)
"Garbage to Goods"
“I hope to fund composting bins to be added to my school cafeteria to combat food waste. The waste collected will then be brought to food recycling centers within Houston, TX, and the collected food will be brought to local farms and redistributors.”
Anna ('22)
"Buses Go Viral!"
"I'm fundraising for bus passes that will go to young people who can't afford or don't have access to bus passes, as well as editing applications to improve the social media posts. I plan to create on Tiktok and Instagram platforms. This is to encourage youth to have access to and feel confident using public transportation options."
Oisin ('22)
"Climate Neutral"
"My project will battle waste pollution in my local area. I live in the countryside and it is quite exquisite, but as you get closer to the local town, you will encounter the waste pollution.
My project will be split into two stages.
Stage 1: The Education and awareness faze, by using signs explaining my goal and educating my community on the environmental toxicological effects it is doing.
Stage 2: Physical distribution, volunteering to fix the problematic waste."
Olivia ('22)
"Re-establishing Environmental Committee"
"I am re-establishing my school's environmental committee within my school after it was disbanded during the COVID-19 pandemic. This committee will address local issues involving climate change and environmental degradation."
Education
Ella ('22)
"HTHCV Bulletin Boards"
"I will install bulletin boards in the hallways of my school and one for sports as well. They will promote communication, community and inclusion on my schools campus."
Giovanni ('22)
"The Art of Writing"
"I propose holding five poetry workshops to teach kids to write different kinds of poetry. The result will show other students that writing is powerful, being able to express themselves in ways they can’t verbally. I want to show other students how to have a platform to speak up."
Julia ('22)
"The Panther Project"
"The Panther Project is designed to bring more resources to Paul School and improve students' educational and social experiences to make the most of their elementary and middle school years. I will present a plan to the school board and then collaborate with them and the teachers to create a program that most benefits the students."
Kacper ('22)
"Rooks & Books"
"I plan to encourage teenagers to read books that widen their minds framework and allow them to discuss ideas more fundamental to our world as well as changing our world through creative means."
Katie ('22)
"Tutoring in Tandem"
"My project is organizing a school tutoring and mentoring program. Senior students have the opportunity to volunteer as a tutor for Junior students who may need support when it comes to certain subjects in school. This will address the issue of the lack of affordable tutoring support and services for students, especially those from lower-income households."
Marcus ('22)
"Educational Resources Fair"
"My project will be a resource fair to introduce students to a litany of academic resources and paths, of which they may be unaware, such as prospective courses, scholarships, and grants accessible to them, and the requirements to meet to take advantage of these opportunities."
Megha ('22)
"Sexual Education Mock Legislation"
"I plan to research existing Education Code and Legislation throughout the nation on the topic of sexual education. I will also be collecting facts and statistics to create medically accurate, safety-focused guidelines for sexual education before compiling the information into a bill that I will present to various individuals and organizations."
Molly ('22)
"Learning For All"
"For my project, I will be focusing on improving the dyslexic services in my community by fundraising for c-pens to help dyslexic people in my school feel less isolated in the classroom and feel that learning isn't a chore."
Access to Basic Needs
Emma ('22)
"St. Mary's Sanitization Station"
"I will fundraise to provide students with hygiene products. Students should be able to focus on their education without having to worry about how they're going to afford to meet their basic needs. Financial issues are prominent around my area and I want to bring my school community together so students know they're not alone in the hardships they face."
Lisa ('22)
"Period Empowerment"
"My proposed project targets an audience of young girls and is aimed to destigmatize the taboo around periods, especially for young girls who are uneducated. It will also address the issue of period poverty."
Mia ('22)
"Free Fruit Fridays"
"I hope to provide a piece of fruit, donated by a local fruit and veg shop in my community, to all students in my school. A wellness card with an encouraging saying will be included with every piece of fruit to help encourage better well-being. I hope to address the lack of healthy and free lunch options in my school. I hope to improve school well-being after covid left a stressful environment in school."
Orla ('22)
"Packs for People Experiencing Homelessness in Galway"
"I am aiming to fundraise for and create 50 packs to distribute amongst people experiencing homelessness in Galway. These packs will contain toiletries, clothing, tupperware, vouchers and other items, which will then be distributed to people experiencing homelessness in Galway city."
Mental Health
Áine ('22)
"Mental Health Awareness"
"I planned a community fundraiser at my school for an organization called SOSAD which works to raise awareness for mental health issues and prevent suicide."
Aoife & Rebecca ('22)
"TAMHI Tournament"
"We have decided to hold a camogie tournament in order to raise funds for a mental health charity, TAMHI. Its mission is to promote mental health through sports, especially for young people."
Community Improvement
Aidan ('22)
"Erase the Past, Paint the Future"
"My project is Catholics and Protestants working together by painting over derogatory and sectarian terms on walls and painting something positive."
James ('22)
"Flagstaff Bike Repair Station Installation"
"Install a Bike repair station within an area of high bicycle use to increase the accessibility of bike tools."
Elderly
Sarah ('22)
"Nursing Home Music"
"I plan to create a school club where students volunteer to visit elderly centers. We will be planning activities to do with them like playing musical instruments and creating connections across people in my community."
Youth Empowerment
Aisling ('22)
"Queer Youth Fingal"
"The aim is to grow a network of young people who can meet on a monthly basis to have open discourse about their experiences, meet others like them and address the issues in the local community that pertain to them."
Gaby ('22)
"Miss Lake Nona Pride Pageant"
"The mission of my pagent is to empower young women to connect, strengthen, and serve their community by combining their passion to make the world a better place with the skills, experiences, and resources required to do so. Every young woman deserves the chance to have their voice heard, regardless of ethnicity, background and socio-economic status."
Jackie ('22)
"The Reality I Wanted to Escape"
"For my project I will be writing book with a story that includes my personal experiences and advice in struggling with mental health, and how to be resilient."
Promoting Diversity
Charlie ('22)
"Connecting Community in Putney"
"I hope to connect my school to local communities, specifically starting with The Root Social Justice Center to create a space where we can share ideas, resources, and promote growth within each of our communities. My hope is that in creating larger, more diverse community spaces, The Putney School can become less isolated, and create more space for belonging."
Donaven ('22)
"Free Expression, No Oppression"
"This project will be an event where those of oppressed minority groups can come together in one space to express and celebrate their culture, ethnicity, passions and overall backgrounds."
Natalia ('22)
"Diversity Night"
"I am going to create a festival that is completely student-led and organized to highlight and recognize the beautiful cultures that make up my school's student body and faculty."
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