Sandra Irwin-Gowran
The Educate Together Nurture Project began in the depths of the first wave of covid. Consequently, to date all training and support has taken place online. Participating schools are finally getting to meet up in person, share their experience and learning and celebrate all they have achieved.
Over five separate days in September and October the first cohort of primary and second-level schools participating in the project will meet in one host school. Last week the first meeting took place in South Lee ETNS, Cork City and staff from Tramore ETNS, Wexford ETNS and Owenabue ETNS travelled to share their experience, challenges, and triumphs of embedding the Nurture approach in their schools.
The stories shared were heartwarming and everyone was in full agreement that despite the challenges of implementation, the approach is bearing fruit for many children and for some it is the ‘thing’ that is keeping them in school. We’re looking forward to more ‘meetings’ in the coming weeks.
All first cohort schools were presented with their Certificate of Participation in the Whole School Nurture Programme by Dr. Susan Gibney, Nurturing Schools Ireland. The schools will continue to meet together over the coming year with the support of the national office to complete the programme fully. Educate Together would like to acknowledge the support of our funders Salesforce and Rethink Ireland for making this project possible.
The second cohort of schools began the Whole School Nurture Programme with an in-person session hosted by Hansfield ETNS, they will continue over this school year. We asked those gathered in South Lee to share some tips with them, here’s what they said:
Nurture Conference 2022:
