Hey there!  We’re so excited to meet you!!

Chances are, if you’re here, we’ve recently had the pleasure of meeting you! Meeting people like you is the best part of our job and we are committed to doing all we can to make life a little easier for you and the girls in your lives.

Support Us And Stay Up To Date On All Things Shona

If you believe in the power of The Shona Project, the work that we do, and the impact we create, we would love to have your support so we can continue to grow and create lasting change.

In order to spread the story of Shona and the amazing work that we do, we have started a monthly newsletter. This newsletter will share highlights and achievements, but will also feature stories and articles and other news that will interest girls, parents, teachers and professionals. We will include our recommendations for books, music, podcasts, TV shows, movies, self-care items, and everything in between.

The newsletter is our way to create a movement in Ireland of people who support the girls who we hope will grow to become leaders and changemakers. Our community will also be invited to monthly events, where we will hear from amazing and inspiring women who we hugely admire, all with inspirational stories to share.

You can join us in supporting The Shona Community by joining our newsletter mailing list by hitting the button below.

So, Who Are We? 

Here at Shona, we celebrate women from all over the world, those who succeed and those who overcome, those who lead and those who think, those who win and those who learn. We share our stories so that we don’t feel alone. We laugh, learn, try and cry together.

Figuring out who we are, and where we fit into this world is hard, and there are so many challenges; anxiety, depression, body image, self-esteem, boys, family drama, social media, exams stress, hormones, sexuality, relationships, bullying and feeling like we don’t fit in. The world (and Instagram) tells us we should have it all figured out by now, and that we should be perfect, which none of us will ever be. Really, we should be helping each other to be smart, strong and, above all else, kind.

When girls support each other, there’s no limit to what we can achieve

We know exactly how it feels to struggle and feel alone because we’ve been there. We all need to give ourselves a break, take care of ourselves, and of each other, celebrate each other’s differences, and support each other so we can all achieve everything our quirky little hearts desire.

Our Reach So Far

• Almost 35,000 girls through workshops
• 75,000 through our online SHINE event
• 95,000 with our Survival Handbook for Girls.
• 250,000 per month through our website and social media.

Meet Our Team

How Can You Get Involved?

The Shona Project is for girls, by girls. So we want to reach you where you’re at! This is why we have a strong presence on social media. We give you inspiring and empowering content that might even teach you a thing or two along the way! You can follow us at any of the socials linked below x

• Instagram
• TikTok
• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube

Join Our Community!

In September 2022, we launched our Junior Ambassador Programme, inviting schools to nominate a female student who has shown leadership, kindness and an interest in social issues to become part of our national ambassador programme.

Our Junior Ambassadors (or Jambos, as we call them) are invited to deliver a welcome address to the incoming first years and be advocates for kindness and inclusivity in their school. In return, they are invited to monthly online meetings, where they can meet inspirational role models, and learn about issues such as diversity and inclusion, equality, leadership, career development and a positive mindset. They can access mentoring and advice if and when they need it and they also receive a Shona goodie bag.

They are also invited to attend our annual Ambassador Summit, meet other Jambos, hear from a panel of speakers, and have their voices heard to play a part in creating the world they want to live in.

Find out more and nominate a Jambo HERE.

Need Some Inspiration? Check Out Our Shine Festival Website!

The Shine Festival website is home to over 250 empowering conversations with some of Ireland’s most inspiring and authentic women.

Topics covered during these conversations include mental health, wellness, careers, the arts, women in sports and so much more.

Each woman interviewed has one thing in common. They were open and honest with us to show the thousands of teenage girls across Ireland, that no one really knows everything and no one is perfect!

So go on, what are you waiting for? Head over to www.shinefestival.ie and get watching.

For The Teachers

Did you know that as a teacher, you and your school can get involved with The Shona Project in many different ways?

• WORKSHOPS: We offer two workshops The first of focused on influence, kindness and mindset (more here) and the second is focused on confidence and finding our voices (more here). To book a workshop please fill out this enquiry form.
• SHINE FESTIVAL: We’re back for 2024 and because of last year’s success, we are returning to SETU Arena in Waterford! This year’s event is on the 9th and 10th of October. We are 85% sold out, but you can grab your school’s tickets HERE.  We once again plan to bring together thousands of TY girls to hear from amazing female role models and celebrate International Day of The Girl. Our online site has over 140 tailor-made pre-recorded videos, along with class discussion and journal prompts on topics such as women’s health, women in sports, careers, the arts, activism and much more. For more info and to watch the content, please head over to www.shinefestival.ie
• AMBASSADOR PROGRAMME: Is there a senior cycle young woman in your school who has shown leadership, kindness or a passion for social issues? Why not nominate her to get involved in our Junior Ambassador Programme. Find out more here.
• LESSON PLANS: A FREE resource for teachers that links our Digital Shine Festival with the Learning Outcomes (LOs) for Wellbeing. Access more info and the pack here.
• BATHROOM ART:  We want to turn your school halls and bathrooms into a safe and positive space by providing a free stencil kit, which can be used by your students in whatever way they wish! All the details can be found here
• SURVIVAL HANDBOOK: Each year, we distribute 35,000 FREE Handbooks to 1^st year girls all over Ireland. All you need to do is let us know how many you need. Get your order in for a September 2024 delivery HERE.
• NEWSLETTER: To stay up to date with any new events or projects we are running and any other initiatives we love, why not sign up to our newsletter here
• PODCAST: To learn more about the challenges faced by teenage girls, and how you can create a safe space to open up meaningful conversations with the young women in your lives, listen to our podcast here.
• PARENTS’ PAGE: A special section on our website where we use our knowledge of young girls to help you, parents, guardians and other adults, better understand their world. Check it out here.
• RESEARCH: We conducted some research with Thinkhouse PR and ISSU, asking girls across Ireland how they were doing really, and the research result were quite shocking. Have a read here

If any of the above has caught your eye and you’d like to know more, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Operations Manager Ellen on 086 014 4728 or [email protected]