Killarney students are continuing their awareness campaign with the help of one of the country's top national broadcasters.

With the help of Virgin Media Ireland, Killarney Community College students had an amazing opportunity to meet with representatives from the campaign production and management of Virgin Media Ireland to work on their next steps for their project to raise awareness about Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia and Dyspraxia.

The nine Fifth Year students from The Connected Four YSI group Rachel Griffin, Luke O'Sullivan, Amy O'Donoghue, Keelyn O'Leary, Lulu Healy, Lauren Fleming, Jack O'Connell, Eva Ryan Lynch and Ekaterina Gaeva, won the overall Young Social Innovators Social Media Award and received Highly Commended for the Digital Innovators Award sponsored by Virgin Media back in May.

Virgin Media since contacted teacher Lorraine Crowley and The Connected Four to offer support for the team to reach their goals going forward.

The group have written a book and are developing an activity programme for primary school students and for use in other settings for example summer camps, etc.

The students' main aim is to make learning about these conditions almost second nature and not just that, but for the children to have fun while they do it, by seeing the programme they will become more accepting of everyone without even realising it.

The Connected Four want to prevent bullying and increase acceptance, whether or not they get recognition, and see this as the best way to impact the youths in their local community and eventually nationwide, through this free, helpful and easily accessible, activity programme.

Virgin Media want to give the students the resources and expertise to complete these initiatives. They have offered the Fifth Year students to take part in a Hackaton Event in January where they will partner with more representatives from the company to build on their ideas. Students have access to all areas and departments of Virgin Media Ireland to create their activity programme and continue their campaign. They have links with the Parents Council of Ireland and Department of Education to promote the students' activity programme.

Virgin Media are also going to include The Connected Four in their monthly E-newsletter that goes out to 220k customers.

"The Virgin Media team were so impressed with our amazing group of students, stating how eloquent and professional their presentation was and offered support from expertise and leaders from Virgin Media to achieve their goals," Lorraine Crowley said.

"What an outstanding opportunity for this group of young people to get their word across the country. We are so proud of this group of young people making such a change in our community."