LYCS’s Global Citizenship Education Leadership Programme began in September 2024, with a group of committed and passionate learners from various backgrounds, interested in learning more about ways in which they can take a lead in helping their communities. This programme was developed and facilitated by Development Perspectives, an award winning provider of global citizenship education based in Dundalk, and LYCS.
The programme is part of LYCS Global Citizenship Education Programme, funded by Irish Aid, and aims to increase the knowledge, skills and critical capacities of learners living in Dublin’s North East Inner City (NEIC) to engage as active citizens on global justice issues. LYCS created this course in response to the lack of dedicated GCE leadership programmes for marginalised communities, and due to the importance of people from those communities to be at the forefront of change.
In our first module, our leadership group explored the meaning of “Community”, explored what it means to take a lead, were introduced to GCE and the Sustainable Development Goals, and participated in exercises to build their confidence and develop the group to be comfortable and work together. In Module 2, a smaller group delved deeper into the social justice issues evident in their local communities, and related them to the wider world through exploration of specific related SDGs. They began to take actions, within their own communities, to effect change, however small.
In June, the Module 2 Leadership Group completed their course, and we are very excited to see where they take their Leadership skills from here!
The Leadership course will continue this year, beginning in November with the SAOL Project, works with women who experience severe and multiple disadvantage, with a primary focus on addiction. We’re excited to be partnering with such a fantastic organisation, and bringing GCE as a methodology to a new group.
