By Destiny Benson.
I’m currently a 2nd-year student in TUDublin Blanchardstown College studying Community Development and Youth Work. As part of my second year in college, I am required to go out on placement to put all I’ve been learning into practice. For my placement, I was assigned to Drogheda, Co. Louth, where I now have the opportunity to work with an organisation called Development Perspectives (DP).
Development Perspectives is an independent charity based in Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland, focused on Global Citizenship Education (GCE). Their mission is to tackle poverty, inequality, and climate change through education and by encouraging people to take action.
I’ve been an intern since February. I started off quite nervous, but on my first day, I was met by a lovely team of people who helped ease my worries.
I worked alongside the EU Coordinator, Paul. He works with Erasmus+ and offered me an opportunity to participate in a programme called Integrate. At first, I didn’t know which area I wanted to go into, so I was kind of exploring all aspects of the work that DP does but when I heard what Paul does within the organisation, I became really interested.
Integrate is an Erasmus+ project that brings together different organisations from around the world to discover how we can build a more inclusive and connected future together.
In preparation for my trip, I had to look into the logistics. As soon as I booked it, I couldn’t wait—I was filled with excitement. The location was Graz, Austria. I arrived a day early. On day one, we started bright and early in the morning, and I was met with lovely people from all around the world. People from Austria, Ireland, Cyprus, Italy, and Spain came together for three days of interactive workshops and eye-opening activities focused on Global Citizenship Education (GCE), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and human rights. It took place from the 18th to the 22nd of March, in VAÖ StudentInnenheim, Am Rehgrund.
On the first day, we were welcomed with a presentation of the agenda, outcomes, and familiarisation with the LTTA schedule and training objectives. Meath Partnership and Auxilium delivered the introduction. Later, Paul from Development Perspectives facilitated some ice-breaking and team-building activities, which everyone really enjoyed. Through these activities, we got to know each other much better and familiarised ourselves with each other’s names.
The day was filled with tons of information, learning, and fun. The focus of the day was critical thinking and problem-solving. We looked at these topics from different perspectives. It was great hearing different points of view from so many people from around the world. It was a very interactive first day with a great team of people. At the end the day, we all went out for dinner and enjoyed some amazing traditional Austrian food.
On the second day, we started off bright and early with some fun energisers. We continued our GCE training. Meath Partnership and Development Perspectives collaborated on a session that raised awareness of the four pillars of GCE: critical thinking, systems analysis, problem-solving, and active citizenship. We also took part in training on the Sustainable Development Goals and human rights.
Meath Partnership also presented how the Integrate learning materials can be utilised in various settings to reach target groups and beyond.
Day three started bright and early once again. That day’s agenda focused on critical thinking. I came away with a whole new understanding of critical thinking, and it really impacted my perspective (especially in relation to community work). I also got the opportunity to facilitate a session with a wonderful group of people. Our group facilitation was about human rights, and while we were teaching others, I was learning too.
In the All-Ireland Standards for Community Work, there are five standards—but I’m focusing on two: Social Justice and Sustainable Development. Social Justice and Sustainable Development mean making sure everyone has equal opportunities while also protecting the planet.
These standards were created to set a clear direction for community work across Ireland. They help ensure community work is consistent and based on fairness. They support professionals and volunteers in doing ethical and effective work. And they hold organisations accountable, ensuring they focus on real, positive change. A big part of DP’s work is about educating people on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which I saw in action during the trip, especially through how Paul facilitated the group.
Taking part in Integrate was one of the best experiences ever. It was so impactful, and I learned so much from the very beginning to the end—not to mention how beautiful Austria was. It was great having a change of scenery. I also got to meet amazing people from all around the globe who share the same aims and passions as I do. I never actually realised how much we all have in common when it comes to global issues, like the cost of living or inequality.
