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Hi Louise,
When you wrote that your ideas weren’t ground breaking initiatives I had the thought ‘why reinvent the wheel’. I outlined similar ideas in my own forum post as I’m sure many others did and will. As you have said, they are simple but effective and most importantly engaging ways of empowering and educating our students and nuturing global citizenship.
In Mallow, climate change is beginning to show its effects through increased rainfall, flooding along the River Blackwater, and unpredictable seasonal patterns. Local farmers are already feeling the pressure, as changing weather affects crop cycles and livestock care. These real-world signs offer teaching moments that help children understand that climate change isn’t just happening in distant places—it’s happening right here in our community.
In the classroom, I would start by using local news stories and maps to show how Mallow has been affected by flooding over the past few years. Pupils could interview older relatives or community members to gather oral histories on how the environment has changed. This would lead to a project titled “Our Climate, Our Town”, combining science, geography, and storytelling.
To inspire action, I would introduce three achievable steps:
1. Reduce plastic use in school through eco-friendly lunch practices.
2. Encourage children to walk or cycle to school where possible.
3. Start a school garden to promote biodiversity and carbon absorption.
By connecting local issues with global goals, students can see their power as change-makers and develop a lasting respect for the environment.
Hi Louise,
The HSCL in your school sounds amazing and so proactive. It would be so beneficial if every school and community had someone so willing to organise a welcome and ensure inclusive practices for incoming refugees. I agree that schools are left to do what they can to help these students who may have little or no english and may have experienced huge trauma with little to no support or recognition for the importance of the emotional support and sense of belonging that they provide.
In my local town, a recent initiative transformed a former Ulster Bank building into accommodation for up to 23 Ukrainian refugees, as part of Ireland’s response to the Ukraine crisis. Locally, agencies like Le Chéile Family Resource Centre are already involved in refugee resettlement, offering vital support services.
Reflecting on this, I see a valuable opportunity for our school community to foster welcome and integration. Students could organise a “welcome pack” campaign—gathering essential items (toiletries, stationery, warm clothes)—in collaboration with Le Chéile.
To build deeper understanding, teachers could embed refugee stories into lessons (History, English), and align with the Young Social Innovators (YSI) programme, guiding students to design a social-action project around inclusion . A YSI-style project could centre on “Creating Connection in Mallow” through bilingual signage, art exchanges, or community events at the Gilbert Centre.
Through service-learning, empathy, and collaboration with local organisations, our school and students can play a meaningful role in welcoming refugees and strengthening community bonds.Hi Nicola,
You’ve made some really good points. I agree that it is important to teach our children about responsible consumption when Shein and Temu are so popular and a lot of our youth have no idea where the products and food they are consuming come from and how they are being produced. I have used the resources on Fairtrade.org.uk before but hadn’t heard of Earth Cubs which looks great so thanks for sharing!
One of the key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that directly affects children both locally and globally is SDG 13: Climate Action. In Ireland, children can see the effects of climate change, such as increased flooding, unpredictable weather, and changes in local ecosystems. Globally, climate change exacerbates problems like drought, food insecurity, and natural disasters, which disproportionately affect children in vulnerable regions.
To encourage students to take action, I would first raise awareness in the classroom through discussions about how climate change impacts both their local environment in Ireland and communities worldwide. We could examine case studies of young climate activists, like Greta Thunberg, as inspiration.
Locally, I would initiate projects such as starting a school garden, organising recycling campaigns, and encouraging the use of public transport, cycling or walking to school where possible instead of driving. Students could also be involved in a campaign to reduce plastic waste in their school and local community, contributing to both local and global climate goals.
By integrating education for sustainable development (ESD) into the classroom, children can learn the importance of taking small, local actions that contribute to the broader fight against climate change.
I agree with you Laura that these stereotypes often start at home. I saw this myself when my younger son asked Santa for a baby and a buggy for Christmas when he was 2. He was the youngest of two boys but the childminder only minded girls and his cousins were girls so he was obviously enjoying playing babies and dolls etc with them. My husband would be very open minded but had to be convinced that Santa was going to bring what he had asked for. We had a similar issue the following year when I suggested Santa should bring a kitchen for the two boys to share.
Gender stereotypes can start shaping students’ perceptions of themselves and others as early as preschool. These stereotypes influence how children play, what subjects they feel confident in, and how they interact socially. In my classroom, I observed a moment during free play where a group of boys dominated the building blocks area while girls stayed in the dress-up corner. When a girl tried to join the construction play, a boy told her, “Girls don’t build things.” She quietly walked away. This small interaction highlighted how ingrained stereotypes can discourage exploration and limit children’s confidence in certain roles or abilities.
Development education methodologies can help challenge these biases by promoting critical thinking, empathy, and social justice from a young age. Activities such as storytelling with diverse characters, role-play, and classroom discussions about fairness and inclusion empower students to question stereotypes. By creating a reflective and inclusive environment, we can support all children in seeing themselves beyond traditional gender roles.
Hi Michelle,
I was struck with the same thought about our role as educators being about helping children to see themselves as part of something bigger, teaching them to ask questions and critically analyse information rather than just feeding them facts. I also agree that it is important for us to show that it is worth taking action even if we think we are only one person and that every little action matters. You are absolutely right that Development Education should be seen as a mindset that supports all aspects of school life and not looked upon as another subject to teach.
Development education is important in order to nurture the development of global citizens who care about their peers and can empathise with those who may not be as well off as them or may face different challenges. Global citizens have an interest in and care about their society and community and don’t just think about how things directly affect them but rather can take consideration of how others are affected by social inequalities and injustices.
In order to include it in my own teaching I think it would be best to model the behaviour so my students can see that I show empathy and respect to staff and pupils, that I strive to include everyone and don’t judge. I would also do some explicit teaching around global citizenship but I think modelling the desired behaviour is very effective. I would also ensure to make space to allow and encourage discussion amongst students and encourage them to question things. I would try to create a classroom where students are able to connect head, heart and hands so they can take in information, express how it makes them feel and come up with an actionable response to it.
Again, in relation to encouraging colleagues to plan development education activities throughout my school I think actions speak louder than words so I would lead by example. I would also create a bank of resources/lesson plans from this module that could be shared on our collaborative drive so that my colleagues could access them and adapt for their own classes.