A Look Into Our Research
Welcome to The Shona Project’s research hub.
This is where we share the reports, insights and findings that shape our work, strengthen our voice, and help us better understand the real experiences of young people across Ireland.
Our research helps us listen more closely, respond more meaningfully, and create support that truly reflects what young people need.
The Perfect Storm 2026
At The Shona Project, we've spent a decade listening to girls. This year, for the first time, we placed their experiences alongside boys', asking what the two accounts reveal when read together.
The Perfect Storm 2026 was a national survey conducted in partnership with RED C Research and funded by the Irish Youth Foundation, gathering 802 responses from secondary school students aged 12–19 across Ireland.
The headline finding: only 1 in 5 Irish teenagers say they are thriving.
The Perfect Storm 2025
At The Shona Project, one of the great privileges of our work is to hear their stories. Some are shared with anger, because they are frustrated with how the world that they will inherit is changing, and some are barely a whisper, because they are their most precious private thoughts and fears. These stories matter and need to be heard by those who make decisions that will impact their futures.
In 2025, we partnered with The Outcome to conduct a national survey, exploring the experiences of the young women and girls of Ireland. The findings will help us to advocate for policy change in areas such as mental health, education and equality, but most importantly, it will help us to ensure that the voices of young people are central to shaping meaningful support and interventions when needed.