The is the first of a series of blogs on the Praxis Summer School 2023.
Our first full Summer School took place this Summer on 31st May and 1st and 8th of June. The theme of this year’s Summer School was Social Movements, Education and Active Citizenship. Praxis ran a pilot Summer School in 2022 but this year we ventured to a three-day event and ran it in collaboration with Nano Nagle Place in Cork City. It was attended by thirty participants. We are grateful to the management and staff of NNP who welcomed us on Day 3 of the Summer School with beautiful rooms and gardens, the most welcoming staff team as well as refreshments throughout the day.
The full programme with speaker/facilitator biographies is here:
Summer School Programme 2023 final
The end of Summer School evaluation by participants gives a good insight into the success of the three day event. This success was due to the great variety of and excellent speakers but also to the participants themselves who embraced this learning opportunity with enthusiasm, positivity and participation.
Of the 15 people who completed the end of Summer School evaluation, 8 gave it an overall rating of ‘outstanding’, while 5 said it was ‘excellent’. All 15 said they would recommend the Summer School of a friend.
Would you recommend the Summer School of a Friend?
Graphic: from end of Summer School evaluation asking the question “Would you recommend the SS to a friend?”. One hundred percent of participants said ‘yes’. Thank you!
One comment from a participant:
“It’s years since l attended any formal education outside of my professional CPD and this blew me away. Initially l was drawn to the global citizenship title but the three days went above and beyond my expectation. Will be back next year. Keep me posted on other events please. I also felt l met kindred spirits and it has rekindled my interest in developmental education again”.
We would like to acknowledge too the fantastic support of Edel Whelton whose enthusiastic contribution in supporting the Summer School also contributed to its great success.
Our thanks to:
John Smith CEO of Nano Nagle place for his help in organising the Summer School and his most supportive staff team.
Donal Chambers, course co-ordinator on Kinsale College’s Sustainability and Permaculture course and the chair of Transition Towns Kinsale, for his inspiring talk about his work, not to mention the fact that he helped us plant a tree which will forever form a symbol of the UCC / NNP Summer School in the most beautiful grounds of NNP.
Fionnuala O’Connell is the Assistant Coordinator at the Cork Migrant Centre working with migrant youths with a focus on young people living in Direct Provision. Her personal and professional story was described by one participant as ‘inspiring and hope filled’.
Laura Power, Education Officer for the South of Ireland, at Worldwise Global Schools.
Jo Linehan is a sustainability journalist, consultant, founder of GAFF Shop and Editor of CLIMATE with The Sunday Times
Philip McDonagh, Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Humanities at Dublin City and Director of the Centre for Religion, Human Values and International Relations.
Mary O’Rourke has worked in Office of the Vice President for Learning & Teaching, UCC, for 15 years. She is Co-Chair of UCC’s LGBT+ Staff Network.
Charlotte Bishop is the Education and Research Manager at Suas|STAND.
UCC lecturers Dr Carol Power, Dr Paul Bolger, Dr Declan Jordan, Dr Vittorio Bufacchi, UCC who kindly too gave of their time to run a workshop on Doughnut economics.
Below is a photo of Laura Power of World Wise Global Schools
