Student and Social Inclusion Projects to Receive Support from College Equality Fund

Posted on: 09 February 2011

Sixteen equality-themed projects were successful in receiving funding from the 2010/11 Equality Fund.  The applications were received from academic, administrative, support staff and student groups.  Each year the Equality committee seeks to fund projects that aim to further enrich the inclusive College community.

The successful projects include the development of podcasts to assist students with Asperger Syndrome to manage student life.  Proposed by the Unilink service, the podcast will be available for download from iTunesU and will support the student’s role, both academically and socially, within the university and will promote College as an inclusive environment.

The Ghost in the Library, a student project organised with the Library and the College’s Literary Society, aims to tackle common misconceptions regarding third level education among secondary school students from areas of socio-economic disadvantage.   The project proposes to bring students on a tour of the Long Room in the College’s Old Library where they will have the opportunity to engage in creative writing activities.  Their work will then be bound in a book which will be published on completion of the project.

A student-run campaign, Trinity’s RACE for Mental Health, will be funded by the 2010/11 Equality Fund.  Supported by the Senior Tutor’s Office and the Student Counselling service, it hopes to raise awareness of mental health issues, reduce the stigma associated with them and create equality for those affected.  Information on all the successful projects can be found on the Equality Office website.

The Equality Fund holds an annual call for submissions from the College community and awards financial support to those projects, events, workshops and other initiatives that aim to raise awareness on equality issues and promote diversity in College.  Focusing on the nine grounds of discrimination (age, gender, civil status, family status, race and ethnicity, membership of the Traveller community, disability, sexual orientation and religious belief) the themes for this year’s competition included: Plural identities – beyond stereotyping; Enriching the inclusive College community; Treat others as they would like to be treated – supporting dignity and respect; Building equal participation – envisaging the future; and Silent, silenced or private?  A total of €15,335 was allocated for this year’s successful projects.  Further information on the College’s Equality Fund can be found online.