Participation in the Gaisce Award, also known as the President’s Award, has reached a record level of nearly 30,000.
According to the organisation’s latest annual report for 2025, 29,299 young people registered for the award during the year, while 17,641 completed it.
The President’s Award is a personal development programme designed to help young people feel more connected to their communities and to give them a sense of achievement.
The award programme began on October 28th, 1985, and has been running for more than 40 years.
Organisers commissioned research on the Gaisce awards, with a survey of 1,000 participants citing a sense of purpose (89 per cent) as the biggest positive of the programme.
Participants contributed more than 423,000 hours of volunteering in communities across Ireland.
Respondents also reported that achieving their award made them more confident (80 per cent) and supported them in developing lifelong skills (90 per cent), with half of respondents saying they expect to use skills developed through Gaisce to support their future careers.
Gaisce chief executive Avril Ryan said: “Our annual report demonstrates the growth and diversity of engagement with Gaisce, with more young people than ever before choosing to take part.
“Through the awardee survey, participants are telling us that the Gaisce framework is more relevant than ever, providing them with the self-belief, sense of purpose and autonomy to develop the human skills and experiences they need to be world-ready.”
The award programme is available in 81 per cent of secondary schools across Ireland, while participation in Deis schools increased by 21 per cent last year.