From left: Stuart McLaughlin, Google; Fionnuala Meehan, Google; Bernard Brogan, Dublin GAA; Dolores Wilson, St Andrews Resource Centre; Cllr Nial Ring, Lord Mayor of Dublin; and Mary Rose Burke, Dublin Chamber. Image: Conor McCabe Photography
Innovation across Dublin city is well and truly alive, alive oh!
A team of judges has selected 15 projects that will share €1m from the Google.org Dublin Impact Challenge bursary.
Last November, to mark its 15th year in Dublin, Google launched the Dublin Impact Challenge to support non-profit innovators and social entrepreneurs in local communities across Dublin.
‘Our aim was to tap into innovation across the city to support great ideas to build stronger communities’
– FIONNUALA MEEHAN
When it launched the project, Google revealed that its headcount in Dublin stood at 8,000 people, with 1,000 of those positions filled in the previous year alone.
As part of a €1m investment in the Dublin Impact Challenge, Google invited non-profits, social enterprises and educators to submit bold ideas to grow social and economic opportunities in their communities.
At the time Google said it would select 15 proposals. Of the 15, four projects will be selected by Google’s panel of judges and will receive an additional €50,000 worth of grant funding, bringing the funding to €100,000 each. A fifth will be open to a public vote that will take place between 19 and 26 March online.
The winner will be Dublin
The five projects to receive additional bursaries will be announced at a celebratory event on the evening of Thursday 4 April, funded by Google’s philanthropic arm, Google.org.
The judges were: Cllr Nial Ring, Lord Mayor of Dublin; Senator Lynn Ruane; Mary Rose Burke, CEO of Dublin Chamber; Dublin GAA legend Bernard Brogan; journalist Róisín Ingle; Tomás Sercovich, Business In The Community CEO; and Fionnuala Meehan, head of Google Ireland.
“Choosing the final 15 was not an easy task,” said Meehan. “Our aim was to tap into innovation across the city to support great ideas to build stronger communities, and the list of finalists represents a broad spectrum of charities and community initiatives across Dublin, with mental health, education, employment, support services and more represented.
“I really hope that the Google.org Dublin Impact Challenge goes some way to assisting these great projects in achieving their goals, and I look forward to announcing the additional five bursaries in April.”
Finalists of Google Impact Challenge Dublin
The 15 finalists are:
A Lust for Life
A Lust for Life is creating a new, innovative platform to share creative mental health content.
An Cosán Virtual Community College
An Cosán is harnessing the power of technology to grow and innovate community education.
Citywise Education
Fast Track Academy is providing educational support to young people in underserved communities.
Down Syndrome Ireland
Down Syndrome Ireland is helping adults with Down syndrome to secure meaningful paid employment.
Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC)
The DRCC is removing barriers to accessing support for those who have experienced sexual violence.
Irish Females in Technology (I-FITs)
I-FITs is a tech apprenticeship programme for unemployed women from Dublin’s Silicon Docks area.
GiveBack.ie
GiveBack.ie is technology that empowers individuals to break the cycle of homelessness.
Theatreclub
Theatreclub wants to create a shift in Dubliners’ views of addiction using audience activist groups.
Irish Youth Foundation
‘Next Step’ is supporting students in the transition from primary to secondary school.
Music Generation Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown
Infinite Music is a music performance programme for young people with special educational needs.
Peter McVerry Trust
Peter McVerry Trust is establishing a culinary training programme for people experiencing homelessness.
SeniorLine
SeniorLine is offering peer-to-peer IT education and a drop-in facility for older people.
Dublin City Farm and Ecology Centre
St Anne’s City Farm is a sustainable farm that promotes education and multiculturalism.
Teen-Turn
Teen-Turn is changing how girls from underrepresented communities identify with STEM careers.
Young Social Innovators (YSI)
YSI is empowering Ireland’s most disadvantaged youth to address local issues using robotics and STEM.
