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What is Gaisce – The President's Award?
Gaisce – The President's Award is Ireland's national youth award: a personal development programme for young people aged 14–25, framed as a direct challenge from the President of Ireland to realise their potential. It is not a competition or a single exam — participants take on a set of self-chosen activities over time, working with a President's Award Leader (PAL), and progress through levels (Bronze, Silver and Gold are referenced on the site).
Who it suits
- Teenagers and young adults who want a structured way to build confidence, take on volunteering, learn a skill or get more active.
- People who prefer steady personal progress to one-off tests.
- Youth workers, teachers and volunteers considering the PAL role, which is how most participants are supported.
What to expect in practice
The value comes from consistency: choosing activities that stretch you slightly, logging them, and having a leader check in. A student who is unsure about committing might start at the entry level and treat it as a term-long habit rather than a big project. Someone already busy with sport or music can often count existing commitments, which lowers the load.
Next step
Prospective participants should read the Participant section for how to register and what a PAL expects; adults interested in supporting young people should look at the PAL guidance. If you are weighing it against other youth schemes, compare time commitment and whether your existing activities can count — that is usually the deciding factor.
For wider context on youth volunteering and development opportunities in Ireland, Volunteer Ireland is a useful starting point.
What are the requirements to earn a Gaisce Bronze, Silver, or Gold Award?
Gaisce – The President's Award is Ireland's national youth award and personal development programme for young people aged 14–25. The site describes it as a direct challenge from the President of Ireland, encouraging young people to realise their potential. It is structured as three progressive award levels — Bronze, Silver and Gold — with the higher levels typically asking for longer commitment and greater challenge than the one before.
What the site confirms
- Eligibility: participants must be aged 14–25.
- Three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold, each a distinct award rather than a single certificate.
- Two ways in: young people join as Gaisce Participants, while adults can train as President's Award Leaders (PALs) who support participants through their journey.
- Support structures: the site highlights a PAL Pack for leaders and a SUAS Bursary Fund, which suggests some costs or access barriers are recognised and supported.
What to check before starting
The homepage does not spell out the specific hour requirements, challenge areas or minimum ages per level. Those details sit on the participant pages linked from the homepage. If you are deciding whether to begin, the practical next step is to open the "Gaisce Participant" section at The President's Award and confirm the current requirements for the level you are considering, since rules can be updated between award cycles.
A useful way to think about the three levels
| Level | Typical appeal | What to weigh |
|---|---|---|
| Bronze | First-time participants, school-age young people | A gentler entry point that builds the habit of regular commitment |
| Silver | Those who have completed Bronze or want a bigger challenge | Longer commitment; good for building a sustained record for applications |
| Gold | Older participants (typically 16+) seeking a standout achievement | The most demanding level, often involving a residential or team element |
This table reflects general expectations of how progressive youth awards work; confirm the exact requirements for each level on the participant pages before committing.
Example scenario
A 15-year-old in Transition Year might start at Bronze to test whether the weekly commitment fits around school and sport, then decide on Silver once the routine is established. A 17-year-old applying to college or a trade apprenticeship may find Gold more useful as evidence of sustained effort and teamwork, but should check the time demands first so the award does not compete with exam preparation.
How do I sign up to become a Gaisce participant?
Gaisce's own site points prospective participants to a dedicated "Become a Gaisce Participant" page, and that is the correct starting point: sign-up happens through Gaisce's programme structure, not a standalone account you create on the homepage. The award is for young people aged 14–25 in Ireland and is framed as a personal-development challenge, so expect the process to involve choosing an award level and connecting with a President's Award Leader (PAL) who supports you through it.
What to expect from the sign-up route
- Eligibility first: confirm you are within the 14–25 age range before going further.
- Choose your level: Bronze, Silver and Gold are referenced across the site's news and stories; the participant page is where the entry requirements for each are set out.
- Find a leader or licensed organisation: the site separates a participant pathway from a "President's Award Leader" pathway, which indicates that participants normally join through a PAL or an organisation running the award rather than entirely alone.
- Check current openings and events: the news feed carries time-sensitive items such as bursary applications and challenge-partner showcases, which can affect how and when you start.
A practical next step
Open the participant page via The President's Award and read the level requirements before contacting anyone. Then, if you are already in a school, club, youth service or workplace that runs Gaisce, ask there first — that is usually the fastest route to a PAL. If not, use the participant page's guidance to find a leader or licensed organisation near you.
For a concrete example: a 15-year-old in a GAA club would typically ask the club's youth officer whether it runs the award, then register at Bronze through that leader. A 22-year-old in full-time work with no club connection would instead need to locate a licensed organisation or PAL independently, which takes more initiative and is worth starting early.
One decision criterion: if you want to begin quickly, prioritise joining through an organisation that already delivers the award over searching for an individual leader, since the former usually has the registration steps and support in place.
What does a President's Award Leader (PAL) do, and how do I become one?
A President's Award Leader (PAL) is the adult volunteer who guides a young person through Gaisce – The President's Award, Ireland's national youth award for 14- to 25-year-olds. According to The President's Award, the programme is framed as a personal-development challenge from the President of Ireland, and the site treats the PAL role as one of its two main entry points alongside the participant route.
What a PAL actually does
The role is part mentoring, part verification. In practice a PAL is likely to:
- Help a participant set up their award. That means agreeing on activities for the programme's areas (typically community involvement, personal skill, physical activity, and for the higher awards a residential or team element) and making sure the plan is realistic for the time available.
- Act as the responsible adult contact. A PAL is usually attached to a school, youth organisation, club or workplace that runs the award, and is the person the participant checks in with.
- Keep records and sign off progress. The award depends on sustained effort over months, so a PAL confirms that the participant genuinely did the hours and met their own goals.
- Encourage persistence. The most common failure point in any long award programme is a young person drifting away halfway through; a good PAL notices that early.
The site's blog includes a piece titled "Ciarán Sears: A PAL's Voice," which suggests the organisation publishes first-hand accounts from leaders — worth reading if you want a sense of the day-to-day reality before committing.
How to become one
Start from the "President's Award Leader" section of the homepage, which links to a "Learn More" page for prospective leaders. Expect the route to involve:
- Applying through the site's PAL pathway, either as an individual or as a representative of an organisation that wants to offer the award.
- Training and vetting. Because PALs work with minors, any Irish youth organisation will require Garda vetting and child-protection training; the site's mention of a "2026 PAL Pack" indicates there is a current handbook of procedures and supports.
- Being linked to participants, either ones you recruit or ones assigned through your organisation.
Is it right for you?
The trade-off is time and consistency against real influence. A teacher, coach or youth worker already seeing young people weekly can fold the role into existing contact; someone volunteering cold should expect to give up regular hours for the better part of a year, since the award is built on sustained commitment rather than a single project. If you want a bounded, one-off volunteering task, this is not it. If you want a structured role with a clear framework and an organisation behind you, the PAL route is the sensible way in.
Next step: open the PAL "Learn More" page on The President's Award and check the current PAL Pack for training dates and vetting requirements before applying.
Can I get the Gaisce SUAS Bursary, and how do I apply?
The page confirms that the Gaisce SUAS Bursary Fund is open for applications for 26/27, so the short answer is yes — eligibility is aimed at Gaisce participants, and the bursary is intended to help with the costs of taking part. The page itself only announces that applications are open; it does not list the award amounts, income thresholds or the application steps, so treat those as things to confirm on the official bursary page before you rely on them.
What to check before applying
- Participant status: You need to be a registered Gaisce participant, typically aged 14–25, working towards Bronze, Silver or Gold.
- What the bursary covers: Expect it to relate to participation costs (for example equipment, travel or activity fees) rather than general living expenses — confirm the exact categories.
- Deadline: The page notes a closing date falling on a Friday, so check the current date on the bursary announcement rather than assuming last year's timetable.
- Supporting details: Have your Gaisce registration details and a PAL (President's Award Leader) contact ready, since leaders usually verify participation.
A practical next step
If you are a participant, speak to your PAL first: they can confirm your registration is active and may already know how previous applicants in your area framed their applications. Then open the bursary announcement on The President's Award and work through the listed criteria line by line before writing anything.
For a concrete example: a 16-year-old doing Bronze who needs hiking boots and bus fares for a weekend away should check whether the bursary covers equipment purchase versus hire, and whether receipts are required — those two details often decide whether an application succeeds.
If you are not yet a participant
The bursary is tied to the award programme, so the sequence is: register as a participant, get linked with a PAL, then apply. Starting the award purely to access the fund is unlikely to work, since progress and a leader's involvement are usually part of the assessment.
If your circumstances are unusual — for example, you are just outside the age range or between award levels — contact Gaisce directly through the details on their site rather than guessing, as the page does not address edge cases.
How can schools, youth organisations, or community groups become a Gaisce Challenge Partner?
The site does not publish the Challenge Partner application steps on this page. It confirms that Challenge Partners exist and are showcased (a "Challenge Partner Showcase" appears in its news list, and Scifest is named as one), but the page itself only offers two entry points: "Gaisce Participant" and "President's Award Leader" (PAL).
What you can do next
- Route through a PAL first. For a school or youth organisation, the practical path is to have a staff member or volunteer register as a President's Award Leader; PALs are the people who support participants through their award. That gives your group an existing structure before you approach Gaisce about a partner arrangement.
- Ask Gaisce directly about partner status. Use the contact details on The President's Award and describe your group, the age range you work with (the programme covers ages 14–25), and the activity you would offer as a challenge.
- Check the news and blog section for the Challenge Partner Showcase posts, which show the kinds of organisations already involved — useful for framing your own proposal in similar terms.
Decision criterion
If your group mainly wants young people to complete an award, becoming a PAL-led unit is the lighter option. If you want to offer a distinct challenge activity to Gaisce participants beyond your own members, ask about Challenge Partner status specifically, since the two roles are described separately on the site.
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