Youthreach Bonnybrook on RTE
Students from Youthreach Bonnybrook were featured on a recent RTE "Stuck for Words" programme. In association with the National Adult Literacy Agency, the series tells the story of people who have overcome personal difficulties to
develop the skills they lost out on. You can watch the programme online until the end of May, 2010. Click here.
24/05/10
NAYC conference, Meeting Challenge with
Innovation
The 16th Annual Conference of the National Association of
Youthreach Coordinators will take place on the 24th, 25th and 26th of February 2010 in the Grand Hotel, Malahide, Co. Dublin. The agenda can be viewed here.
3/02/10
Margaret Sweeney RIP
Margaret Sweeney coordinator in Pleasants Street
Youthreach, has died after a climbing accident in Co Mayo. I am deeply
shocked and saddened by this dreadful tragedy.
Margaret was a consummate educator and public
servant. Work with disadvantaged young people was her career, in Stoneybatter
CTC and in Youthreach Pleasants Street. She was thoughful, determined, considerate and effective,
and brought good spirits and a positive attitude to all her work.
Everyone who met her was highly impressed by her very strong
commitment to working with the young people in Youthreach and her
generosity of spirit. Time was never a problem .. she just went and got
the job done, whatever it took.
On behalf of her colleagues in
Youthreach I extend our thoughts and deepest sympathies to her
family, her Youthreach staff and learner colleagues in CDVEC and
especially in Pleasants St. Her death is a hugh loss for the centre and the
programme.
May she rest in peace.
Dr. Dermot Stokes, National Coordinator,
Youthreach
QFI Promethean Competition - winners announced
The results of the QFI competition, launched at the NAYC Conference in
February 2009 have been announced. The competition was one way of
celebrating the 20th year of Youthreach and acknowledging that the
QFI was built on all the good practice and expertise that had
developed since the start of the programme. Full story here ...
25/06/09
NCAD Launches new Masters programme
NCAD are starting a taught masters course next year - MA in Visual Arts Education (MAVA). It's aimed at educators in all settings - teachers at primary and post-primary level obviously, but also the FE and HE sectors, galleries and museums, arts centres, adult and community settings etc. They would be delighted to have some applications from the Youthreach sector. Click here for their add in pdf format
7/04/09
When both horses and humans win
The fourth Festina Lente Opening Doors to Learning conference will be held on April 24th and 25th in Co Wicklow. See www.festinalente.ie/events/opening-doors-conference/ for more.
23/03/09
From Youthreach to Waikato
Dean
King: the Ballymun-born teenage star of Unidare RFC is off to New Zealand later
this month on a rugby scholarship. He has many good things to say about his time
in Youthreach and we wish him the very best of luck. Read about Dean
here:
Crisis Pregnancy Agency Launches 'Real Deal' Peer Education Project
Evaluation
The Crisis Pregnancy Agency officially launched the evaluation of the "Real
Deal" peer education project on Wednesday 25th February in the Maldron Hotel,
Tallaght. The "Real Deal" was a sexual health and personal development
programme that was researched and designed by ten peer educators who were
themselves one time teenage mothers.
The programme was implemented, with the support of project coordinators, Ann
Fitzpatrick and Catherine Bell, and relevant health professionals. Six of
the peer educators, Laura McLoughlin, Tracy Nevin, Sabrina Garvey, Yasmin Woods,
Holly Railton and Gemma Dixon delivered the programme to 45 female
teenagers. The pilot was run at two community training centres and
two Youthreach centres in counties Kildare and Dublin. Following training,
the peer educators shared their experiences as young mothers and also offered
education on topics such as self-esteem, sex education, contraception, STIs and
goal setting. The evaluation found that the training programme was very
well received by the participants and that it provided an opportunity both for
the peer educators and the participants to improve their knowledge of sexual
health and relationships in an innovative manner.
Speaking at the launch, Caroline Spillane, Director of the Crisis Pregnancy
Agency said: "The 'Real Deal' peer educators are to be commended for not only
highlighting the challenges of teen parenthood, but also for empowering
participants to have the confidence and skills to make informed choices about
their sexual health. Parenthood poses a challenge for all parents,
irrespective of age, and it's important that teenage parents are aware of the
supports that are available to them. It's vital that supportive
environments such as this are replicated across the country, to equip young
people with the information they need while ensuring that the reality of teen
parenthood is accurately portrayed but not stigmatised."
For more information click here.
If you would like to obtain a copy of the evaluation report, please
contact:
Anne Fitzpatrick on 045 432 372.
4/05/09
Children and Young People
The Children's Research
centre e-zine Children and Young People can be
viewed online here: http://www.tcd.ie/childrensresearchcentre/EzineFeb.html
3/03/09
Young ensembles scheme
Are you a young artist, musician,
actor, filmmaker, writer, dancer, who likes to collaborate with
others, then you may wish to apply to the Arts Council's Young Ensembles Scheme
Applications must be received by the
Arts Council no later than 5:30pm, Friday March 20th 2009. You must apply as part of, or in
partnership with, an established youth or arts organisation. The project you apply for must take
place in 2009, but after the application deadline. Full guidelines and application forms
are available to download at: www.artscouncil.ie
For further Information the Arts Council / An Chomhairle
Ealaíon, Young People, Children and Education, tel: +353 1 6180250.
3/03/09
Death Notice
It is with deep regret that we
have heard of the death of Dr. Concepta
Conaty, National Co-ordinator for the Home
School Community Liasion Programme. She was a
tireless worker on behalf of disadvantaged young people in schools and on
building relationships with their families and communities. We extend our deepest sympathies to Concepta's family at this sad
time. May she rest in peace.
Dr. Dermot Stokes,
February 16th 2009
NAYC Conference Agenda announced
The Agenda for the forthcoming NAYC conference, Vision 20/20, has become available and can be viewed here. It is the 15th annual
Conference of the National Association of Youthreach Coordinators and it will be held in the Sheraton Hotel, Athlone, from the 25th to the 27th
February 2009. It is expected that the conference opening will be performed by Mr. Sean Haughey, Minister for Lifelong Learning, and will be chaired by
Mr. Gearóid O Brádaigh, CEO Westmeath VEC. Check back to www.youthreach.ie/conference for updates on the conference agenda.
13/02/09
NAYC, Western Youthreach Staff
Conference
The NAYC, Western Youthreach Staff
Conference took place on Monday & Tuesday December 1st
and 2nd 2008 in The Castlecourt Hotel Westport. The aims of the Conference were to
examine practical ways of Integrating Literacy and to provide staff
with ways to deal more effectively with anger and challenging
behaviour through the Cool Anger Management Programme. 120 people from 12 Centres attended.
Teresa McGuire, Chairperson, Co Mayo
VEC welcomed the participants and Dr. Katie Sweeney CEO, Co Mayo VEC
delivered the opening address. Ann O’Sullivan, Inspector with The
Department of Education and Science spoke on the theme of Integrating
Literacy and Toni Carroll delivered the Cool Anger Management
Training Programme.
Dr. Dermot Stokes, National Youthreach
Co-ordinator was the guest speaker at Monday night’s dinner and
during his address on Tuesday Morning he complimented the Western
Region for organising the Conference and hoped there would be similar
Conferences in the future. The feedback from all participants on
the Conference was very positive and they look forward to using these
new skills in their day to day work.
Youthreach Student Wins National Award
Well done to Hughie Kilbane Youthreach
Kiltimagh who received a Certificate of Distinction for being in the
top ten in the country in the Junior Cert Ordinary Level Metalwork
Exam 2008.
Hughie received his award from the
Engineering Technology Teachers Association, which held the awards
ceremony in Mullingar on Saturday November 22nd 2008
L-R are Donald O’Brien Metalwork Teacher
Youthreach Kiltimagh, Hughie Kilbane, Des Moore E.S.B, David Monaghan
Chairperson E.T.T.A.
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Bray
Drugs Awareness Art Competition Winner – Lee Meaney
Lee
Meaney a full time trainee of Bray & North Wicklow Youthreach,
received second place prize in the category of 18’s and under, for
the Bray Drugs Awareness Bookmark Art Competition, which had a total
of over 800 entries.
Lee
attended the Royal Hotel, in Bray on the 5th November to
receive his prize. Lee’s artwork with its detailed and colourful
design had a catchy slogan, which gained him second place within his
category. See it on Bray's page here. Well-done Lee.
Lee Meaney, student and Paddy Robinson, Coordinator, Bray Youthreach
Child Literacy and Social Inclusion
National Economic and Social Forum: Call for Submissions
The NESF invite submissions to the Child Literacy and Social Inclusion Project Team. The Call for Submissions will be available from www.nesf.ie from Monday 17th November, alongside some guidelines for making a submission. It will appear in the National newspapers also. The closing date is Friday 12th December.
For further information, please contact: Dr Jeanne Moore, Social Policy Analyst, National Economic & Social Forum, 16 Parnell Square, Dublin 1, Ireland
Direct Line: 353 1 814 6366; Fax: 353 1 814 6358
Email: jeanne.moore@nesf.ie
14/11/08
Tackling fear of technology - Limerick
Youthreach students show how!
Click on this link http://www.youtube.com/user/limericktechfair to see the segment on YouTube
about the Limerick Technology Fair that appeared on News 2 recently. It
was on late and a lot of people would have missed it.
VFM Review of Youthreach and STTCs
published
Youthreach centres awarded Health Quality Mark awards
Four Youthreach settings were awarded Health
Quality Mark awards from Minister Séan Haughey at the Clock Tower in
the Department of Education and Science at the end of January.
Blanchardstown Youthreach was awarded a Gold Q-Mark as were the three KDYS
centres of Tralee, Killarney and Listowel.
Sandra Bagnall collecting the Gold health quality mark for
Youthreach Blanchardstown with Eddie D'Arcy, chair NYCI,
Minister Haughey and Mary Cunningham, Director NYCI
The Health Quality Mark (HQ Mark) is an innovative
initiative from the National Youth Health Programme (NYHP) part of the National
Youth Council of Ireland, which acknowledges youth organisations that have
achieved a high standard of quality in promoting health across their
organisation including young people, staff and volunteers (see http://www.youthhealth.ie/).
At the ceremony Lynn Swinburne, Health Promotion
Coordinator of the NYHP, said that: The Health Quality Mark is by no means an
easy undertaking. These organisations have committed to quality in youth health
promotion through their health promotion team and met a set of specific criteria
to achieve a certain standard of quality. The criteria are based on best
practice in health promotion at a regional, national and international level and
most of the criteria have been have been drawn from the World Health
Organisation (WHO) criteria that were developed for the Health Promoting Schools
Initiative and adapted by the NYHP.
Congratulations to all concerned.
Arts Council Invites Applications for New Scheme
The Arts Council has announced a new pilot funding scheme for young ensembles. The scheme targets groups of young people between the ages of 12 and 23 years who are working collaboratively to create art, across a range of art forms. Organisations supporting or hosting young ensembles are eligible to apply.
The primary purpose of this award is to support young ensembles in the development of their artistic practice in an out-of-schools context. It prioritises initiatives that demonstrate clear artistic vision in the specific art form(s) represented, coupled with a process that values young people’s participation, creativity and critical engagement with the arts.
"The Young Ensembles Scheme is a further expression of the Arts Council’s commitment to create better opportunities for young people to experience the arts, as outlined in its current strategy Partnership for the Arts."
Closing date: Applications and supporting material must be received by the Arts Council no later than 5:30 p.m., Friday 23rd May 2008. E-mailed or faxed applications will not be accepted.
Full guidelines and application forms are available to download at www.artscouncil.ie and by following the links below:
Young Ensembles Scheme – Guidelines View Fund
Young Ensembles Scheme – Application Form View Fund
For further information: The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon, Young People, Children, and Education, Tel: +353 1 6180250. Email: mathilde.veldt@artscouncil.ie. Website: www.artscouncil.ie
(23/05/2008)
YouTube launches anti-bullying channel
Read The full story on www.siliconrepublic.com by clicking here
The Learning Digest
A range of courses of interest to many working with young people, especially in informal education and training settings, is listed in The Learning Digest.
Read the December 2007 edition here or try www.learningpoint.ie
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NOTICES
Quality Framework Initiative
for Youthreach and Senior Traveller Training Centres
Shivaun O’Brien (Quality Framework Co-ordinator) has returned from leave and can be contacted as normal.
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