Dublin City University (Ireland)

Dublin City University was established in 1975 near the center of Dublin, Ireland. DCU received university status in 1989 and now enrolls over 11,000 students. DCU was the first Irish university to develop a civic engagement strategy in 2006 and is a member of Campus Engage, Ireland’s higher education civic engagement network. DCU’s website>>

DCU in the Community

DCU in the Community is a bridge to higher education which seeks “to provide educational opportunities to local people in North Dublin in order to increase participation levels and to promote equality in third level education.” Programs offered by DCU in the Community include: Bridge to Higher Education, a program aimed at adults to help them to transition into higher education, and Maths in the Community, which helps build math and personal finance skills among local students as well as adults. Learn more>>

Centre for Academic Achievement

The Centre for Academic Achievement (CAA) program has allowed over 1,300 children from socio-economically disadvantaged areas of Dublin to attend special after school classes at Dublin City University since its establishment in 2006. The program was launched after a ‘needs-analysis’ report from local primary school principals highlighted the lack of support for bright students from classes in disadvantaged areas. The goal is to encourage students who traditionally would not have access to university resources and materials towards an academic path and to fulfill their potential. Learn more>>

Mental Health Trialogue Network Ireland (MHTNI)

This project is working creatively with communities, building local capacity and helping communities to develop their own solutions. It is shining a light on one of the most controversial and common topics within modern society – mental health – supporting proactive knowledge sharing between health professionals, community members and people coping with mental health issues. Trialogue Meetings are regular, open discussion forums for people who may have different understandings of mental health and mental health problems.  They now have a platform to come together to discuss mental health and community response to mental health problems in a ‘neutral terrain’ located outside any therapeutic, familial or institutional context. By jointly developing solutions and improving dialogue and communications about mental health issues, the project is having a measurable impact on local communities. Learn more>>