Schull Community College

North / South Exchange Programme
Cork County VEC / South Eastern Education & Library Board

Schull Community College Transition Years have been involved in a North/South Exchange Programme with students from St. Patrick’s High School and Down High School, Downpatrick, Co. Down since 1996, as part of a link established between Cork County VEC, the South Eastern Education and Library Board in Co. Down.

As part of the programme, students study a module on North / South Understanding aimed at increasing cross-border co-operation and understanding. They study four basic units as part of the module –

A Sense of Place
Education Systems
Tourism and Environment
Youth Issues

Each module is open to expansion in numerous directions as dictated by student’s interest, teacher expertise, timetabling and other such practical issues.

Along with the module of study, students meet for a week in Co. Down and a week in Schull. A programme of activities is planned in each place to build on the learning outcomes of the module and to participate in social, cultural and educational activities in a new environment. For instance, students spend a day at school with their partners in each jurisdiction to experience firsthand a different education system and in each case a host student invites a visiting student home for an afternoon to meet his/her family.

Students are directly involved in all aspects of the module of study – their interests dictate its direction with guidance from the teacher. They plan the programme of activities for their partner group and evaluate the programme on an ongoing basis – in class during the module of study and with their partner group during the exchange weeks on a formal and informal basis.

The project has expanded to include special events over the years.

1998 - Schools Encounter Event, Áras an Uachtaráin.

2000 - MILLENIUM PROGRAMME:

Conference of young people who had taken part in exchange programmes in previous years.
Reception at Áras an Uachtaráin hosted by President Mary McAleese to celebrate the success of the North / South partership.
Ocean Youth Club Sail Training Vessel – North / South student crew from Bangor to Schull during Fastnet International Schools Regatta
Youth Seminar on Drug Education / Abuse
2001 - Cross Border / Cross Community Sailing Trip from Bangor to Scotland

Teacher and Student representatives from North and South at
“Opening Doors” Conference on Mulitculturalism in New York.

Ongoing events

Work Experience Exchanges between Killyleagh Outdoor Education Centre / Fastnet Marine & Outdoor Education Centre, Schull.

SEELB Youth participation in the annual Fastnet International School’s Regatta


Awards

1998: Gulbenkian Silver Award

2000: Gulbenkian Gold Award