Mary Immaculate College (MIC), through the PATH 1 Project and Faculty of Education, in collaboration with EPIC (Empowering People in Care), hosted an event aimed at fostering greater understanding and inclusion for children and young people in the care system within the Irish education system.
‘Take Care: Empowering Schools to Support Children in Care’ took place on 7 April at MIC Limerick. This hybrid discussion event (in person and online) also saw a regional launch of a new toolkit created to support schools in understanding and addressing the unique needs of children in care.
The Take Care resources, developed in collaboration with young people who have lived experience of care, offer practical guidance for principals, teachers, and school staff. These tools aim to provide insights into the educational experiences of children in care and propose meaningful actions to foster belonging, wellbeing, and success in school settings. It also explores how to better support students with care experience as they transition into and navigate higher education.
Nicola Moses, PATH 1 Programme Manager, MIC said: “The Take Care toolkit is a really practical resource for schools, and one that is informed by the real experiences of young people in care. It’s a step in the right direction for making schools more aware and inclusive and gives much needed guidance to better support children in care. I’m delighted to have been involved with this project.”
Rory Brown, a former member of the EPIC Youth Council and part of the Education Project Oversight Committee, emphasised the importance of this initiative, stating:
“All principals and teachers should be equipped to make their schools inclusive of children from different backgrounds—including those that are in care, who are an invisible minority.”
Click here to download Take Care resources.
Click here to learn more about EPIC.
The Programme for Access to Higher Education (PATH) is a dedicated fund, broken into five strands, committed to increasing participation by underrepresented groups in higher education. PATH Strand 1 if focused on Initial Teacher Education and its objectives are to increase the number of students from underrepresented groups entering ITE programmes, and provide more role-models for students from these groups. PATH was established in 2017 as a commitment to support the Higher Education Authority’s (HEA) National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2015-2019.
MIC Limerick will host the PATH 1 National Symposium on Thursday 5 June.
Click here for more information about the symposium and registration for same.
