Children &
Young Adults
Trinity College Dublin

April 2011

e-zine
 

The Children and Young Adults e-zine was initiated by the Children’s Research Centre (CRC) in TCD to inform interested groups and individuals about the contribution Trinity is making to improving the lives of children and young adults - through a rich array of research, educational and outreach activities.

For more information please visit:
www.tcd.ie/childrensresearchcentre

Children's Research Centre 15th Anniversary

On Wednesday 15th December the Provost opened a poster symposium to mark the Children’s Research Centre’s 15th anniversary. Current and ex staff and students, funders and supporters of the Centre gathered to celebrate this event, which was kindly sponsored by the Trinity Trust.

For more information please visit:
http://www.tcd.ie/childrensresearchcentre/news-events/15thAnniversary.php

Bridge to College

Director of the Bridge to College programme, John Lawlor, was recently awarded a Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Award for the initiative. Launched in 2007, the Bridge to College (B2C) programme was designed to provide students from designated disadvantaged second-level schools with an innovative learning experience using technology. The awards aim to recognise individuals who are developing new initiatives to address a wide variety of social and environmental challenges. The B2C programme will receive €80K in funding to develop the project over the next two years plus €50K worth of professional services.

For more information please visit:
http://www.tcd.ie/Communications/news/news.php?headerID=1597&vs_date=2010-11-1
Or:
http://www.tcd.ie/Community/students/volunteering/campus/b2c.php

Growing Up in Ireland Report Launch

A major new report from Growing Up in Ireland - the Infant Cohort, a national study tracking the lives of 11,100 nine-month-old infants and their families, was launched by the former Minister for Children & Youth Affairs, Barry Andrews TD on November 29th, 2010. The research report, led by TCD and the ESRI, was launched at the study’s annual research conference and provides a unique insight into the lives of infants in Ireland, presenting in-depth findings across a range of areas including pregnancy and birth, childcare, health and development, and work-family life balance.

For more information please visit:
http://www.growingup.ie/index.php?id=199

IRCHSS Knowledge Exchange Project

Professor Robbie Gilligan and Dr Philip Curry have won an Irish Research Council for Humanities and Social Sciences Knowledge Exchange grant for their project ‘What you need to know about children and racism’. This project will employ a range of innovative approaches to disseminating findings from a recent study of inter-ethnic relations in inner city Dublin primary schools. Key audiences for the dissemination and knowledge exchange effort will include teachers and youth workers.

For more information please visit: http://www.tcd.ie/childrensresearchcentre/projects/childrenandracism.php

TCD Academic Chairs First All Ireland Children’s Research Network

A new Children’s Research Network for Ireland and Northern Ireland will bring together professionals who produce or use research on children and families across the island of Ireland. Chaired by Professor Catherine Comiskey, Director of Research at Trinity College Dublin’s School of Nursing and Midwifery, the Network aims to support a wide range of research, practice and policy professionals to better understand and improve the lives of children and young people. The Children’s Research Network will be inclusive, independent, and non-profit and will provide opportunities for its members to share their work and learn from one another.

For more information please visit:
http://www.tcd.ie/Communications/news/news.php?headerID=1665&vs_date=2011-1-1

Over 1,650 Irish College Places Offered to Disadvantaged Students

Educationally disadvantaged students’ chances of going to college have been given a boost with the offer of over 1,650 Irish college places through the DARE and HEAR initiatives. This is a 61% increase on the number of offers made in 2009. The Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) and the Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) give a points reduction to disadvantaged students and students with disabilities thus increasing their chances of success in getting to third level.

For more information please visit:
http://www.tcd.ie/Communications/news/news.php?headerID=1519&vs_date=2010-9-1 http://accesscollege.ie/

New Study on Public Libraries and Young People

A study by a research team from the Children's Research Centre entitled ‘Young People and Public Libraries in Ireland: Issues and Opportunities’ has been published by the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in The National Children’s Strategy Research Series. Speaking on behalf of her co-authors, Dr Margaret Rogers and Professor Robbie Gilligan, Dr Brid McGrath said that ‘we were delighted to conduct this study on such an important community and educational resource in the lives of children and young people. Young people clearly value libraries and have many interesting ideas on how they can be developed in the future. Best practice in Ireland and internationally underlines exciting possibilities for how the library of the future can serve young people.’

To download report please visit:
http://www.tcd.ie/childrensresearchcentre/assets/pdf/Publications/
YoungPeoplePublicLibraries_LR.pdf

Prof. Robbie Gilligan Elected as President of Childwatch International Research Network

Professor Robbie Gilligan, Head of the School of Social Work and Social Policy and Associate Director of the Children's Research Centre has been elected President of Childwatch International Research Network. A global, non-profit, non-governmental network Childwatch International links up 45 university level research institutions across six continents. The Children’s Research Centre here in Trinity is one of the members of the Network. Childwatch promotes child research for the purpose of advancing child rights and improving children’s well-being around the world.

For more information please visit: https://www.tcd.ie/Communications/news/news.php?headerID=1459&vs_date=2010-5-1

Post-Separation Parenting Report Launched

The Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (OMCYA) launched 'Post-Separation Parenting: A Study of Separation and Divorce Agreements made in the Family Law Circuit Courts of Ireland and their Implications for Parent-Child Contact and Family Lives' on January 31, 2011. This study, which was funded by the OMCYA and undertaken by Dr Evelyn Mahon of the School of Social Work and Social Policy at Trinity College Dublin, is based on cases audited in Irish Family Law Courts. The study found that Irish Family law courts upheld and promoted the rights of the child to have contact with both parents following separation and divorce.

For more information please visit:
http://www.omc.gov.ie/documents/publications/Post_Separation_Parenting.pdf

TAP Barn Dance and Harvest Festival

As part of the Trinity Takes to the Streets (TTTTS) fundraising initiative, Trinity Access Programmes (TAP) hosted the 'TAP Barn Dance & Harvest Feast' on Thursday October 21, 2010. In parallel to this fundraising event TAP ran a bucket collection throughout the campus in an effort to exceed last year’s activities which successfully raised €110,000. All proceeds from the two events were donated to the TTTTS and distributed evenly to the Student Hardship fund, Trinity Access Programmes (TAP) and the National Institute of Intellectual Disability (NIID).

For more information please visit:  http://www.tcd.ie/Communications/news/news.php?headerID=1587&vs_date=2010-10-1

New Lecturer in Children's Literature

Dr. Pádraic Whyte has recently been appointed as Lecturer in Children’s Literature in the School of English. With Dr Amanda Piesse, he is designing an M.Phil in Children’s Literature which is due to come on stream in September 2011. Prior to taking up this post he worked as a Research Fellow at the Institute of Irish Studies, Queen's University Belfast (2008-9). He is vice-president of the Irish Society for the Study of Children’s Literature (www.isscl.com) and in 2010 was awarded a writing bursary from the Arts Council of Ireland to develop a Young Adult novel. During the period 2007-2008 he worked as a Research Fellow at the Children's Research Centre and from 2004-2006 he was also based in the Centre while completing his PhD on Children's Literature and Film in Ireland.

For more information please visit:
http://www.tcd.ie/English/staff/academic-staff/padraic-whyte.php

Solas Online Community Project Wins Changing Tomorrow Award

Solas, a virtual community for children with chronic illnesses, developed by Trinity College’s Centre for Health Informatics, recently beat off competition from over 100 nominees to win the Astellas Changing Tomorrow Award. The awards were set up to recognise exceptional work being undertaken by professionals working in health, and highlight their commitment and day-to-day effort in the improvement of the provision of healthcare for patients in Ireland.

For more information please visit:
http://www.tcd.ie/Communications/news/news.php?headerID=1686&vs_date=2011-2-1
Or: www.solas.ie

New Online Child Protection Resource: The North South Child Protection Hub

This new online child protection internet resource, the first of its kind in the UK and Ireland, was launched in November 2010 by the Northern Ireland Social Services Minister Michael McGimpsey and Mr Barry Andrews, TD, former Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. Dr Helen Buckley, Course Director, Postgraduate Diploma in Child Protection and Welfare at TCD, who is also a member of the Child Protection Research and Knowledge Transfer group that developed the Hub gave a presentation at the launch. She outlined the benefits of the site for educators and researchers, which include a medium for research dissemination, quality assurance in respect of internet material, the promotion of multi disciplinary learning and the potential for collaborative north-south research.

For more information please visit:
http://members.nscph.com/content/about-north-south-child-protection-hub-nscph

Chair of Childhood Research

Due to Professor Sheila Greene's forthcoming retirement the AIB Chair of Childhood Research and Directorship of the Children's Research Centre has now been advertised.

For more information please visit:
http://www.tcd.ie/vacancies/external/AMF_Chair%20of%20Childhood%
20Research_March%202011.php

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Edited by:
The Children’s Research Centre, TCD
Tel: +353-1-8962901
Fax: +353-1-8962347