Shared Education for Positive Innovation (SEPI)

About the programme

The SEPI programme connects young people and educators from across Northern Ireland, the Border Counties, Cork, and Galway to collaborate on shared challenges, build relationships, and learn from one another.

Over its four-year journey, SEPI will engage with 100 schools, reaching more than 1,000 students and 900 educators, creating an inclusive space where innovation, sustainability, and cross-community cooperation thrive.

How it works

SEPI is a four-year initiative designed to promote cross-community and cross-border cooperation through structured collaboration on collective challenges. It brings together young people and educators from Northern Ireland, the Border Counties, Cork, and Galway encouraging shared learning, innovation, and sustainable action.

At its core, SEPI offers a dynamic platform where participants exchange best practices, build lasting relationships, and develop meaningful solutions to real-world challenges. The programme is rooted in inclusion, mutual respect, and the belief that collaboration drives positive change.

Led by Co-operation Ireland, delivered in partnership with Catalyst and supported by the Education Authority Northern Ireland (EANI) and Léargas, SEPI is made up of two interconnected strands:

The SEPI
Core Programme

Focused on youth engagement and environmental innovation, this strand empowers young people to play an active role in shaping a more sustainable future. Through cross-community and cross-border activities, students engage in shared learning experiences alongside educators and industry mentors. The Core Programme builds skills in teamwork, confidence, and decision-making while fostering long-term networks.

The Transformational
Schools Leadership Programme

Supporting educators across all participating regions, this strand enhances leadership capacity and facilitates professional exchange. Themes are developed in collaboration with schools and project partners, ensuring the work is responsive, relevant, and impactful. By encouraging cross-sector dialogue, this strand strengthens educator relationships and deepens their role in promoting shared responsibility for environmental and social challenges.

Together, SEPI’s two strands cultivate a community of practice that champions inclusion, innovation, and sustainability.

Grainne's story

It's definitely helped me become more confident. I’ve learned how to better express things when I'm talking. I would recommend people to get involved, honestly, because I think it's definitely been a fantastic experience so far. I’ve loved it.

I think I've become a more confident public speaker and I think have developed communication skills. It has definitely improved my knowledge of climate action.

Grainne Davey, 16, St Dominic’s College

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