Rotary Youth Development Leadership Competition.

Congratulations to Year 12 pupil Emma Papaconstantinou who travelled to the European Parliament in Strasbourg as part of the Rotary Youth Development Leadership Competition.

Emma was one of 20 young people out of 1,500 applicants from across Ireland who won the Rotary Youth Leadership Development Competition. The competition involved 2 rounds of interviews based on Rotary, current affairs, the European Union and community involvement and was conducted by both Rotarians and local professionals.

The week-long trip began at Stormont where the winners met with several MLAs including Cara Hunter, Jon Burrows, Diana Armstrong, Justin McNulty, Stephen Dunne and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly. Following a tour of Stormont, the group watched question time with the Minister for Communities, Gordon Lyons MLA, in the Chamber.

The group then travelled to Dublin where they were hosted in Europe House, the European Liaison Office in Dublin. They had the opportunity to meet Fearghas Ó Béara, Head of Office of the European Parliament Liaison Office in Ireland, who delivered a presentation and conducted a Q&A session with the young people. They also learnt about opportunities within the EU as they heard first hand from trainees working in Europe House. This was followed by a guided tour of Dáil Éireann before meeting several TDs including Neale Richmond, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mary Butler, Minister for Health and Government Chief Whip. The young people also got to see the TDs vote on several issues in the Dial and witnessed a debate in the Seanad Éireann.

The group then travelled to Strasbourg to take part in Euroscola in the European Parliament. Euroscola is an event which allows secondary school pupils from across Europe to step into the shoes of a Member of European Parliament. The day started with a Q&A session with the Vice President of the European Parliament, Esteban González. Discussions ranged from the possibility of a European super state to generative AI followed by discussions the topic of the day - the EU’s zero pollution ambition with Camille Siefridt an environmental policy analyst. The day culminated in a debate on the topic of the day. The pupils were given a stance on the issue and had to debate amendments before they voted on them. The event provided an excellent immersive experience for all involved.

The group then visited the European Court of Human Rights where they spoke to an Irish legal advisor who gave them advice on potential career paths.

On the final day of the trip the pupils had an opportunity for sightseeing in Strasbourg and visited the Notre Dame Cathedral.

Thank you to the Rotary Club of Newtownabbey and Rotary Ireland for providing such an amazing opportunity for Emma!