Training the Teachers

Student teachers from St. Patrick's College participate in an Irish Aid outreach event.

Irish Aid Centre Guides, Shane and Ruth visited the Church of Ireland College Rathmines and Froebel College Education in Maynooth during February where they delivered 2 hour Irish Aid outreach workshops to student primary teachers. 

During these workshops, students learn about the challenges faced by poor rural communities in Africa which grow their own food, and how aid programmes, such as Irish Aid, are helping communities to become more food secure and resilient to climate change.  The workshops are designed to inform students’ own understanding of development, and how aid works, but also to engage them in a way that makes the learning and the context real through film footage, roleplay and group activities. Students are also informed about a range of teaching and learning resources and support provided by Irish Aid for the primary classroom.

Since last September Irish Aid workshops have been delivered to more than 600 student teachers in colleges in Dublin and Maynooth.

Since last September Irish Aid workshops have been delivered to more than 600 student teachers in colleges in Dublin and Maynooth, by arrangement with the Irish Aid DICE (Development and Intercultural Education) Programme.  DICE works to ensure that development education forms part of the initial teacher education of all primary teachers in Ireland, so that global development issues are taught as part of primary education. The Irish Aid Centre Guides have experienced a great response from the student groups who are extremely interested in learning about development and the work of Irish Aid, and in getting resource materials which will support their own teaching about the wider world.