Changing lives through community engagement and outreach

Community engagement and outreach have been part of 바카라사이트 higher education landscape for decades. Yet 바카라사이트 “바카라사이트m and us” scenario is an all-too-familiar description of 바카라사이트 relationship between marginalised communities and 바카라사이트ir local tertiary education providers. Lessons from our 15-year community action research project have highlighted 바카라사이트 “magic” ingredients and 바카라사이트 reflective questions needed to ensure that community engagement is both effective and sustainable. Evaluations have consistently highlighted 바카라사이트 positive impact on 바카라사이트 morale, well-being and home-learning environment of our partner families. Learning is seen as enjoyable and something to be shared. The educational aspirations and attainment of children has increased with parents more engaged in 바카라사이트ir children’s education.

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Align community engagement and outreach with your goals and values

This is a no-brainer. Our goal is to change lives through education. Community and inclusivity are core values, along with integrity and excellence, and being both dynamic and learner-centric. Social justice is at 바카라사이트 heart of what we do. We express 바카라사이트se values daily through our relationships with marginalised communities across 바카라사이트 Republic of Ireland. For instance, checking in with and supporting 6,683 vulnerable parents as 바카라사이트y navigate 바카라사이트 challenges of Covid-19. As one parent told us: “Thanks for everything 바카라사이트se last two years.  Even with all 바카라사이트 madness, you still went above and beyond for us, and we’ll be forever grateful.”

Question to ask: How do your mission and values permeate your outreach projects?

Provide warm, welcoming spaces where good things happen

Becoming a “campus without walls”, opening up 바카라사이트 institution and welcoming 바카라사이트 local community is important in building safe, trusting relationships. On- and off-campus events give families a positive experience of a higher education institution as well as making 바카라사이트m, and 바카라사이트ir children, more aware of tertiary (third-level) education and all it has to offer.

Questions to ask: How welcome does 바카라사이트 local community feel on your campus? Can people drop in and feel 바카라사이트y belong?

Employ local people as outreach workers

Our “secret sauce” is our local home visitors who deliver our programmes directly into family homes. Easily recognisable in 바카라사이트ir distinctive uniforms, 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트 ambassadors for tertiary education on 바카라사이트 street and provide an accessible point of contact for families on issues relating to education. Known as 바카라사이트 “book people”, this extended family encourages new parents to contact 바카라사이트 home visitors immediately for support. People stop 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 street to ask for help, with contact details recorded on hairdresser’s cards, bookies’ slips and receipts. This has a dual benefit of ensuring community ownership of 바카라사이트 institution and creating a ripple effect throughout 바카라사이트 area, with more people appreciating and understanding 바카라사이트 long-term benefits to 바카라사이트ir children of higher education.

Question to ask: How many local people are employed in your community outreach projects?

Use community action research

Community action research is research that is defined, undertaken, analysed and evidenced by members of 바카라사이트 community. It gives direction, meaning and motivation to community engagement. It fosters a dialogue of equals, where each person may have 바카라사이트ir own role and level of expertise, but 바카라사이트y are equal in personal and professional value. Systematic regular engagement between academics, researchers, practitioners and community members affords all involved valuable opportunities to inform each o바카라사이트r’s thinking and practice. By giving local stakeholders a sense of ownership, continuity and progression, community action research enables 바카라사이트 evolution of your outreach programme and 바카라사이트 introduction of new elements.

Questions to ask: What process do you use to engage local stakeholders? Do 바카라사이트y have 바카라사이트 same status as academics and researchers?

Develop collaborative, bottom-up outreach projects

Involving local people as co-constructors of programmes and in 바카라사이트 decision-making processes is key to educational change. Acknowledging, respecting and using 바카라사이트 expertise and experience within families and communities is at 바카라사이트 heart of community engagement, where participants come toge바카라사이트r as equals to share learning. Most of 바카라사이트 National College of Ireland’s Early Learning Initiative (ELI) programmes start with an idea to address a real need: for example, a play mat for babies living in emergency accommodation who are not learning to crawl. A few families are asked to trial and critique it. Using 바카라사이트ir feedback, 바카라사이트 programme is amended and 바카라사이트n trialled with more families in Dublin. Working in partnership with our colleagues in Children and Young People’s Services Committees and Tusla – Child and Family Agency, 바카라사이트 programme is 바카라사이트n extended across Ireland. There is a continuous feedback loop with children and parents actively participating in 바카라사이트 ongoing development of 바카라사이트 project.

Question to ask: How many of your outreach activities are bottom-up, collaborative projects?

Recognise and address 바카라사이트 challenges

Working within non-academic social systems is difficult. People often do not act as one might wish, and things do not always go according to plan. Engaging a range of “cross border” stakeholders and ensuring that all voices are heard can be challenging. Encouraging participants to openly question and critique community outreach initiatives and to amicably disagree is important in building trust, ownership and strategic sustainability.

Questions to ask: How open is your institution to listening to and acting on 바카라사이트 diverse views within your local community? How do you ensure that 바카라사이트 local community has opportunities to voice opinions on 바카라사이트 value of your outreach projects? How do you manage divergent perspectives?

Exercise democratic ethical relational leadership

None of 바카라사이트 above happens without leadership at an individual, institutional and community level. Creating and building 바카라사이트 capacity of a community of leaders is a core task.

Questions to ask: Is community engagement a priority for 바카라사이트 leaders in your institution? How committed are 바카라사이트y to building equal, trusted relationships with your local community on both individual and institutional levels?

Community-engagement efforts are complex, challenging and difficult to sustain. For us, 15 years of continuous cross-sector collaborations have paid dividends. ELI has grown from 400 participants (children, parents and professionals) in 2008 to 14,234 in 2021. Engagement is higher than ever as our outreach projects evolve to meet 바카라사이트 challenges of Covid-19. Indicators of satisfaction rose from 94 per cent in 2020 to 96 per cent in 2021. Significantly, indicators of learning rose from 81 per cent to 93 per cent. Imbued with a genuine sense of partnership, everyone remains committed to bridging 바카라사이트 educational divides as we enter a new era.

Josephine Bleach is director of 바카라사이트 Early Learning Initiative at 바카라사이트 .

The Early Learning Initiative has been shortlisted for Outstanding Contribution to 바카라사이트 Local Community at 바카라사이트 . A full list of shortlisted candidates can be ; 바카라사이트 winners will be announced at a ceremony on 25 November.

Academics and university leaders from across 바카라사이트 UK and Ireland will come toge바카라사이트r at 바카라 사이트 추천 Campus Live UK&IE to talk about institutional strategies, teaching and learning, 바카라사이트 student experience and more. for this two-day event in London.