Youthreach Trim
Quality Centre of
Education
Building on solid foundations of the
past in meeting the needs of young
people in the future!!
September 2003 – March 2013
Presentation Outline
 Introduce the panel
 Overview of Centre
 Presentations by staff and students
 Round up
 Questions and Answers
Where to find us in Ireland?
Youthreach Trim
is located in
Trim, County
Meath
Our Capital:
Dublin City
Ireland is divided in
4 provinces with 32
counties in total.
Our Centre Overview
YOUTHREACH TRIM
QUALITY CENTRE OF
EDUCATION
MS. LIZ LAVERY
FORMER CENTRE CO-ORDINATOR / COUNTY
CO-ORDINATOR FOR YOUTHREACH SERVICES
COUNTY MEATH VEC - IRELAND
What is a Youthreach Centre?
 It is a second chance full time Irish education
programme for early school leavers aged between 1520 years old.
 With little or no previous qualifications.
 It is funded by the Irish Government.
 Our centre has 33 places.
 Our students can be referred by schools,
outside agencies and supports systems,
and by parents.
Our Students- Typical Characteristics
 Little or no previous qualifications.
 History of failed subjects and achievement.
 No or lack of support from home.
 High absenteeism rates in mainstream school.
 Suspended/ Expelled/ ‘Encouraged to leave’
 Learning and or personal difficulties.
 Non-conformity to the mainstream system.
 Use of the 7 Deadly Habits.
 Square Hole Round Peg Scenario.
Support services and agencies
The following is a list of outside supports and agencies which the
centre link in with in order to support our young people:
oS.M.A.R.T. (South Meath Area Response to Teenagers)
oEducation Welfare Officer (EWO)
oProbation Services
oSocial Welfare Service
oLocal Psychologists, Counsellors and Psychotherapists
oChild and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
oYouth Advocate Programme (YAP)
oGardaí
oSchools
oLocal GPs
Youthreach: Facts & Figures
 Detentions + Suspensions+ Expulsions = 0
 Centre Places:
33 Learners
 Breakdown:
Boys Girls
60% 40%
 Age Group:
15-16yrs 17-18+ yrs
70%
30%
 Declared as Ireland’s First Quality Centre of
Education in March 2010
Declaration Day: March 2010
Youthreach Trim very
proudly declared itself as
‘Ireland’s First Quality
Centre of Education’ in
March 2010.
Former Centre Co-ordinator Ms. Liz Lavery is pictured with both staff and
students signing the official Dr. William Glasser document which declared
Youthreach Trim as Ireland’s first ‘Quality Centre of Education’
Our Staff Changes
 Ms. Liz Lavery (Former Centre Co-ordinator and
Founder of Youthreach Trim Quality Centre of
Education) was recently appointed as the new
County Co-ordinator for County Meath VEC.
 Mr. Brendan Pillion is the new appointed Acting
Co-ordinator of Youthreach in Trim.
Our Staff Team
 4 full time staff members and 6 part-time staff
members and 1 trainee teacher on placement
 Caitriona Cullen & Kate Geoghegan Resource
Officers (Choice Theory – Certification -July 2011)
 Mary Hibbits & Brendan Pillion
(Currently Completing Basic Practicum)
 All staff – Basic week done
Youthreach Trim
OUR QUALITY
SCHOOL / CENTRE
APPROACH
Why choose Youthreach Trim
 Students choose to come to YRT because
mainstream school does not meet their personal /
academic needs.
 They may have become ‘lost’ and ‘disconnected’ from
their subject areas and indeed teachers.
 They may have needed a different learning
environment which meets their needs e.g. practical
subjects with hands on experience, project based
learning, work experience placement opportunities, a
small learning environment, more 1 to 1 supports etc.
What students have chosen:
 Morning meetings to discuss daily activities with the
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students. This is used as an open forum for students
and staff to discuss centre issues and make choices.
Informal non school environment – No Miss or Sir.
First name basis at all times.
Choice theory language used at all times.
Students actively encouraged to self reflect and
evaluate on a daily basis.
An environment where they are cared for and feel
happy in.
No Code of Discipline:
Three Rules include;
1. Fire – You must leave the building
2. Banned Substances – Strictly prohibited
3. Assault - You are not allowed to assault anyone
Everything else is negotiable!!!
Students take active role:
 Volunteering to get involved in days like today
 Representing their student body at board of
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management meetings
Representing their centre at county level for
planning the Spraoi na Mi show.
Past student returning to help out in centre events
ESSE project January 2013
Choosing their own subjects, trips and programmes
Choosing their own future path in life
Peer Counselling Programme
The Mediation Process
Meeting
Plan for
the
Future
Articulate &
Acknowledge
Negotiate
How we use mediation?
If an incident does arise the centre lead management
team will engage in the process of mediation and it is
usually around the following areas;
 Between a student and a tutor e.g. difficulties in class
 Between a student and another student e.g. personal
clashed on opinions or mistaken information
 Between a student and a parent e.g. where perhaps a
relationship has broken down and non-judgemental
support is required.
Youthreach Trim
OUR KEYS TO
SUCCESS
Our Interview Experience
=
We are all equal
Relationships
Fun
Friendship
Freedom
Youthreach Trim
A YOUTHREACH LEARNING SPACE TO
THE OUTSIDE WORLD!!
MS. MARY HIBBITS / CAITRIONA CULLEN
RESOURCE OFFICERS
A Quality Learning Approach
•Needs assessment
•Personalised timetable/flexible
•5 basic needs met
•Project based learning activities
•Deliver topics students
consider useful, relevant or
interesting
•Centre commitment to quality
education
• FETAC credit based system
• Progression Routes
•SDL views learners as
responsible managers of their
own learning process.
•Significant role of motivation
recognised
•Tutors scaffold learning by
making learning ‘visible’
•SDL is highly collaborative
•SDL seeks to bridge the gap
•FETAC Level 3 students Tutor
led
•FETAC Level 4 student led
Our
programme
•Initial contact and interview
• Induction Programme
•Needs assessment tests
•Multiple intelligence testing
•Literacy/numeracy supports
•Student assessment of preferred
learning styles
•Help students to make
appropriate behavioural choices
(mediation process)
•Personal reflection
•Internal/external evaluation
•Counselling
Learner
Support
Systems
Self
Directed
Learning
Positive
Learning
Environment
•Stimulating and caring learning
environment
•Needs fulfilling activities ,
which motivates students by
meeting their 5 basic needs
•Encourage students to do their
best work and strive for quality
• Self evaluation
•Personal reflection
•Emphasise on selfresponsibility and cooperation
•Peer tutoring
•Collaborative learning
•Positive behaviours modelled
Timetabling using the QS model
1. Academics in the
morning and choices in
the afternoon
2. Specialism weeks:
Asking the students
what else they would
like to do
Project Based Learning
HOW WE APPROACH LEARNING – THROUGH
CREATING GENUINE QUALITY LEARNING
EXPERIENCES??
Trim Youthreach
WORK EXPERIENCE
PLACEMENT PROGRAMME
2013
MS. CAITRIONA CULLEN
RESOURCE OFFICER
Why do Work Experience??
Learners currently complete a one day a week work experience placement in an
area of their choice. Our Work Experience Co-ordinator is on hand everyday to
encourage and support our learners to find and maintain a placement.
Work Experience is seen as an essential element of our programmes;
 It gives learners the opportunity to sample different areas of work and is a
taster for real life opportunities.
 It gives learners the opportunity to possibly discover hidden talents.
 It helps our learners to develop links with the outside real world work
community.
 It helps to build a learner’s confidence and self esteem.
 It fosters a climate of maturity and responsibility in finding and maintaining
their chosen placement.
 It encourages the learner to take ownership and responsibility in deciding their
future life choices.
Our Work Experience Programme
Types of Work Experience Placements 2013
 Barbers
 Shop Assistants
 Crèches
Pet Stores
Leisure Link / Gym
 Hairdressers
 Local Hotels
 Car Mechanics
 Equestrian Centre
 Butchers
 Local IT Software Company
A Staff Story: Stephanie
Ms. Stephanie
Cogavin – Trainee
Teacher on Teaching
Practice Placement
Stephanie has spent 1
month on teaching
practice in our centre –
March 2013. She
teaches Home
Economics.
Who am I and why am I here??
 Bachelor of Education - Home Economics &
Economics
 4 year course – St. Angela's College, Sligo, Ireland.
Which is course for trainee teachers.
 Requirements – 5 Teaching Practice Placements;
1 of which I choose to do in Youthreach Trim
My experience of Youthreach
 My experience has demonstrated the need to reform
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people’s perceptions of Youthreach
Opportunity
Relationships
The Glasser Model
Skills
Friends
Past Student Involvement
Our Current Students:
A student’s perspective: Megan
My Quality
World Story
What
Youthreach
means to me??
Student Feedback & Evaluation
Students were recently asked what they liked about Youthreach and the
following is what was said;
( County Survey February 2013)
 You develop a relationship with staff and you have real conversations with
them.
 Everyone is treated equally. Family environment. I feel like I am cared for,
listened to, supported and encouraged now. People ask me am I ok now too?
 Classes are smaller and easier to manage. You don’t have to call teachers sir
or miss.
 I feel like I am respected now – treated like an adult and everything in now my
own choosing. You are asked and not made do anything. You develop a
relationship with staff and you have real conversations with them.
 You actually want to do your work. You get to experience more things. The
smaller group size means I get more 1 to 1 help. It feels more like a home than
school. I do feel like I am cared for here and I can turn to people for help.
 It is not as stressful and a more calming atmosphere. Your work is more
manageable and not as stressful. I get to try more things here than I did in
school. I have made friends here and I never thought I would.
Where do we go from here……
‘CHANGE IS A JOURNEY
NOT A BLUEPRINT’ –
(FULLAN,1993:24)
Ms. Caitriona Cullen
Resource Officer
What the future holds?
 Like so many other wonderful schools and centres
like ours – we are work in progress.
 Constantly striving to reinforce what we have
achieved to date and use this to reach our students
of the future.
 Be true to ourselves….and remember everything is
negotiable!!
Our Wonderful Students
Where to find us?
Facebook
OR
www.meathvec.ie
Contact Us
Ms. Elizabeth Lavery
Mr. Brendan Pillion
Ms. Caitriona Cullen
Ms. Mary Hibbits
Ms. Kate Geoghegan
elavery@meathvec.ie
bpillion@meathvec.ie
ccullen@meathvec.ie
mhibbits@meathvec.ie
kgeoghegan@meathvec.ie
Address:
Youthreach Trim Quality Centre of Education
Old Vocational School
New Haggard Road
Trim
Co. Meath
Ireland
Phone:
Fax:
046-9461203
046-9437465
Youthreach Trim Quality Centre of
Education 2013
CLOSING STATEMENT
& THANK YOU
Ms. Liz Lavery
Former Centre Co-ordinator / Principal &
County Co-ordinator for Youthreach Services County Meath VEC - Ireland