Erasmus+ CEPNET Project
On 1 June 2022 at the Erasmus+ CEPNET NI Multiplier Event, the children from St Ronan’s Primary School Recarson, Omagh, presented their findings and displayed their research to the Chair of the District Council, Director of Services Early Years and a wide audience of teachers, principals, representatives from Education Authority, HSCNI and the District Council and their parents and grandparents
ERASMUS + CEPNET Project Children's Empowerment in Primary schools NETwork
is a continuation of a previous H2020 Project called WYRED with children researching issues of concern to them about the internet. On WYRED Mairead McMullen and Mary O’Reilly (M&M) from Early Years worked with 3 primary schools in the Omagh District - Omagh Integrated Primary School, Killyclogher PS and Cooley PS.
Building on the success of the WYRED Project the children from St Ronan’s Primary School on this CEPNET project again facilitated by Mairead McMullen and Mary O’Reilly (M&M) from Early Years, got a chance to carry out self-directed project-based activities, looking at issues in their lives that connect them to the UN's sustainable development goals (SDGs). They discussed and debated these issues and then carried out 8 action research projects related to SDGs that motivated them.
Background to CEPNET Project
Early Years and St Ronan’s Primary School are two of 8 partners in this Erasmus+ project
Throughout the CEPNET project, the primary school children shared experiences and interacted with their peers from schools in Ireland, Italy, Austria. The teachers also got to work with teachers from these schools, as they shared their tips and techniques in making children into the leaders and active citizens of tomorrow. In the background, the research teams in each country provided support to the teachers and documented the results.
The project is driven by the children and a student council was formed with their peers from the other schools. The project made use of online tools and techniques and in the current climate, looked at how to make the most of blended learning opportunities. The project is for 2 years and the long term project aim is to develop resources that can be used by teachers across Europe.
The CEPNET Project has 3 phases. Each phase has potential value for learning in schools.
1) The dialogues awake enthusiasm and critical thinking, and the sense of a voice.
2) The research projects ground opinions, and give a depth and assurance to that voice.
3) The sharing of the results is a validation of that voice.
The first output IO1 of the project, the CEPNET HANDBOOK, covers these 3 phases.
One of the aspects of WYRED that most motivated the children was meeting children from other countries, online. IO2 The second focus of CEPNET is on further development of the international dimension of the approach. The CEPNET ONLINE DIALOGUE GUIDE, is an online dialogue guide, which can be used as part of the overall CEPNET approach for primary schools, or separately.
IO3 The third area of focus of CEPNET aims to ensure it can be used by schools independently of external advisors, which requires teacher training. The CEPNET website was built around this idea – the Why and the How with practical examples from each of the schools – www.cepnet.eu
The Northern Ireland Partners will be welcoming the International Partners to Omagh for the 3rd Project Meeting in June.
