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December 2010Winter

Catriona Ruane, Northern Ireland Minister for Education joined Denis Rooney, Chairman IFI, Sean Haughey, Minister of State for Lifelong Learning and Educational Disadvantage and Della Clancy, CEO Junior Achievement Ireland to launch the JA/IFI cross border cross community project, Hand of Friendship.

Funded by the International Fund for Ireland (IFI), through its Sharing in Education programme, almost 1200 senior primary students in 16 schools covering Counties Tyrone, L/Derry/Derry, Monaghan, Armagh, Louth and Down will take part over the three year duration of the project. Hand of Friendship aims to create solid cross-border and cross-community links by examining the causes of sectarianism and promoting reconciliation with young people in their last two years of primary school.

Since its launch this term almost 400 primary school students from both sides of the border have participated in the first two modules. Students worked through activities on friendship and questioned the importance of religion when making friends. They also discussed conflict, how to solve it and also addressed

Students Join Hands of Friendship

October saw the the closing ceremony for Sharing Our Community, Sligo. Aiming to build positive relationships among communities from different cultures and traditions and challenge attitudes to sectarianism and racism, over 200 students from Ballinode Community College, Grange Post Primary, Sligo Grammar School and Ursuline College took part. The Sligo students enjoyed a combination of classroom based workshops and cross border events throughout the school year, meeting students from Northern Ireland in Co. Fermanagh and fostering new friendships.

The project focused on developing relationships and individual changes so that attitudes, prejudices, divisions and behavioural patterns among young people in Sligo would be challenged and altered.

PEACE III Programme Shows Sligo Students’ Solution to Sectarianism

Students enjoying Module One of the Hand of

Friendship in Armagh.

Students enjoying Module one of

the Hand of Friendship in Armagh

The County Sligo “Sharing Our Community” project was supported by the Peace III Programme, managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by Sligo County Council on behalf of Sligo Peace & Reconciliation Partnership Committee. The County Sligo “Sharing Our Community” project was delivered in partnership with County Sligo VEC.

sectarianism through a series of group activities. The students are looking forward to getting together for the remaining four modules in 2011. Their parents are invited to take part in a diversity seminar and to help out in the final module, Working It Out.

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County Louth Students Discover the Value of Diversity

The Citi Foundation announced a $50,000 grant to fund JA’s Personal Economics programme for 13-15 year olds, focusing on personal skills and interests, career options and personal and family financial management. More than 50 Citi volunteers each year teach business and enterprise programmes to over 1,100 students in 35 schools in Dublin and Waterford.

Citi Foundation Funds Personal Economics Nationwide

Paddy Drumgoole and Grainne Cummiskey of Louth County Council presented 200 local students with their Certificates of Achievement in October marking the completion of Sharing Our Community in the county. Della Clancy praised the enthusiasm of the volunteers, students and teachers who took part and thanked Louth PEACE Partnership for its support of this important project.

Sharing Our Community involved young people from four secondary schools - St. Oliver’s Community School and St. Joseph’s Secondary School, Drogheda, O’ Fiaich College and Bush Post Primary School Dundalk. Students completed classroom workshops and a peace and reconciliation project before also taking part in cross community and cross border events.

Aisling Flood of St. Joseph’s Secondary School, attending the presentation, commented, “Attitudes, which may be negative and stereotyping, can cause difficulties, so having a programme which tackles these issues head on is essential.

This Programme has helped students not to fear difference but to value it.”

Sharing Our Community was supported by the European Union’s PEACE III Programme as awarded by Louth Peace and Reconciliation Partnership.

“The Junior Achievement Personal Economics Programme is a terrific tool in empowering young people to make the correct career and financial decisions. Nationally and internationally Citi is a strong supporter of JA’s work and it is a pleasure to announce this funding for Irish students,” said Francesco Vanni d’Archirafi, Chief Executive Officer, Global Transaction Services, Citi and Chairman of Junior Achievement - Young Enterprise making the announcement in Dublin

Photographed at the announcement with Francesco is Aidan Brady, Citi Country Officer, Citi Ireland and Chief Executive Officer, Citibank Europe plc with students of CBS Westland Row, sisters Clementine and Anais Keane.

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Mary O’ Sullivan is a Guidance Counsellor in St. Nessan’s Community School, Moylish Park, Limerick.

“Junior Achievement is one of the remedial guidance initiatives which helps to bridge the educational gap between our students and those who attend non-DEIS schools. As a guidance counsellor, I find the Junior Achievement programmes the ideal complement to my own guidance programme.”

“I have great admiration for the volunteers and every single one of them has been competent, professional and well-prepared for the task at hand. “

Teacher’s Corner - Mary O’ Sullivan

Over 80 students from Our Lady of Mercy Primary School, Waterford recently enjoyed health and safety training from experts from across Irish industry.

The Health and Safety Authority’s Keep Safe event is part of the Agency’s unique and exciting national campaign to promote lifelong safety habits among young people. A series of interactive scenarios all focusing on safety and community awareness were simulated. To date six of these events have taken place countrywide with ten more scheduled for 2011.

“The children learned so much about different aspects of safety both inside and outside the home”.Maria Doyle, Principal, Our Lady of Mercy Primary School, Waterford.

Health and Safety Authority’s ‘Keep Safe’ comes to Waterford

Civil Defence volunteers showcase their skills in Waterford

“I learned that I must always be careful if I am standing beside a bus because the bus driver has lots of blind spots and might not be able to see me.”6th class student, Our Lady of Mercy Primary School, Waterford.

GE Volunteers around the country

“The Department of Education and Skills has issued guidelines to all guidance counsellors that stress the need to forge external links with relevant organisations such as Junior Achievement as it provides a rationale for the class-based learning that students do. Bringing in volunteers from the real world stimulates the students’ interest in their own career development and encourages them to complete second-level education.”

GE hosts ‘Dragon’s Den’ in its Dublin offices once again in 2011 following last year’s success. The organisation continues its commitment to bringing enterprise and life skills into inner city schools and Margot Lyons, who has strong links with Mater Dei National Primary School, this year hopes to fundraise for the school.

Anton Tams, GE Capital Aviation Services, Shannon, Co. Clare was recently awarded the GECAS Volunteer of the Year Award for his work with students from St. Caimin’s Community School, Shannon. Long serving volunteer Jean Nolan brings her expertise to the classroom in Moyross this year.

Eileen Coleman and Roisin Costelloe led an interactive Junior Achievement Scientists’ Quiz workshop as part of Cork’s annual science event, Discovery. The quiz introduced students to a wide variety of different science and engineering careers.

Mary O’ Sullivan on a recent class visit to Dell

computers in limerick

December 2010Winter

Company Profile - Genworth Financial, County Clare

Volunteer’s Voice

“I’ve been involved with Junior Achievement for about three years and each year I enjoy it even more. I have taught two programmes to primary schools and this year was for first time I taught a course in secondary school. I also had the privilege of being invited to judge in the RDS Student Innova-tion Award 2010.

For me, I love the challenge of being involved in JA. When you walk into that classroom, and all those kids are looking at you just waiting to see what this stranger has to say, it all then comes down to me, either I succeed or fail, keep their interest or bore them, and I enjoy that buzz”.

Over 2,000 students in Co. Clare have benefited greatly from JA’s five year partnership with Genworth Financial. According to Della Clancy, “the impact this organisation is having on young people in its community, and its investment in their future and that of the local area, is outstanding.”

“Genworth Financial is proud to be involved with Junior Achievement and part of the great work they do in our schools. Our volunteers enjoy the time spent with stu-dents teaching the programmes, they find it an interest-ing and valuable experience and also a lot of fun”

Deirdre Bennett, Human Resource Manager, Genworth Financial.

Michael O’Sullivan, Senior Manager, Order Management Interna-

tional, Synopsys, with 5th Year Students, Riversdale Community

College during their visit and trial interviews at Synopsys having

completed Success Skills with Michael.

Ruth Murray, Volunteer,with students of Scoil na

Maighdine Mhuire, Co. Clare, having completed the Our

Nation programme.

Enterprise European Style at Mervue

Students from Holy Trinity NS and St. Michael’s BNS, Mervue pictured with volunteers Colman Corrigan from Hewlett Packard and Suzanne Hughes, APC by Schneider Electric when they took part in Enterprise4U, sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Communicating Europe Initiative.

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PepsiCo’s sponsorship of Challenge Science at the National Maritime College of Ireland, Ringaskiddy, unleashed a world of learning and amazement for over 150 Cork secondary students in November.

Developed by Junior Achievement in association with Discover Science + Engineering, Challenge Science has been generously sponsored by PepsiCo in Cork for the last three years. Attended by students from six local schools and assisted by business volunteers from PepsiCo, Challenge Science featured exciting hands-on workshops on forensic science, energy and careers in science, technology and engineering as well as a tour of the NMCI campus.

“We are delighted to be sponsoring Challenge Science. The activities really help to destroy the myth that science is difficult and help students to see science in a more exciting and enthusiastic way.” said Brian Cassidy, HR Director, Ireland and Puerto Rico, PepsiCo.

PepsiCo Puts the Fizz into Science in Cork

Dublin City Council’s annual Innovation Dublin event showcases innovation and enterprise throughout the capital. DCC’s partnership with Junior Achievement showcased budding entrepreneurs in both primary and secondary inner city schools.

Each class created a company, producing a unique new product and went on to display their expertise in Dublin City Council’s Woodquay Venue. St Gabriel’s, Cowper Street; St Brigid’s, The Coombe; and O’Connell’s CBS created exciting businesses including a multi-functional pillow, a paint-filled paintbrush and fundraisers to send senior students to Zambia. Lord Mayor Gerry Breen visited each of the students’ stands and presented awards for Innovation, Teamwork, Social Awareness and Communication.

Innovation Dublin Showcases Business Brains of the Future

Pictured below are Tammy O’Regan and Blaithin O’Keeffe from Colaiste an Chraoibhin, Fermoy helping Brian Cassidy, HR Director, PepsiCo to solve a crime during the ‘Forensics’ module

Chartered Accountants Collaboration Chartered Accountants Ireland will once again sponsor JA’s Company Competition Regional Finals. In addition, a member of Chartered Accountants Ireland will lend their expertise as a judge on each regional panel in selecting the winners of the Finance Award. The Regional Competitions take place around the country in spring 2010.

Pat Costello, Chief Executive, Chartered Accountants Ireland is pictured above with Lisa McKittrick, Financial Controller, JA and the student team from Ard Scoil Trionoide, Co. Kildare, winners of the RDS Student Innovation Award 2010.

“A lot of learning of science took place today.” said Rory O’Connor, teacher, Colaiste an Chraoibhin, Fermoy,Co. Cork.

Thanks to our kind sponsors

Feedback & Contact InfoIf you have any suggestions or comments on any of our programmes, please email Junior Achievement at info@jai.ie

Junior Achievement Ireland, 8 Longford Place, Monkstown, Co. Dublin | T 01 2366644 | F 01 2803758

www.jai.ie

December 2010Winter