Clare Family Learning Project

Roma Families Learning Project launched in Ennis ‹ Back to News

The Roma Families Learning (RoFaL) Project was launched in the Adult
Education Centre in Ennis in October 2010. Picture shows the Irish side of the bilateral Comenius Regio Project, the other partner is the Aydin Region in Turkey.
Front row: Seán O'Confhaola, Principal Ennis Educate Together national
school, Orla Kelly, Home School Community Liaison Teacher, Ennis Educate
Together national school, Clare Sheahan, Resource Worker, Clare Family
Learning Project, Mary Flanagan, Co-ordinator, Clare Family Learning
Project, Patricia Murray, Home School Community Liaison Teacher, Ennis
Community College, Órla Ní Éilí, Co-ordinator, Clare Immigrant Support
Centre, Ennis.
Back row: Áine Meehan, Co-ordinator, School Completion Project, Ennis
Community College, Karen Walsh, Teacher, Ennis Community College, Sinead
Collopy, Community Development Worker, Health Service Executive.
Expected objectives of the project:
To increase the integration of a minority community (Roma) in the education and schooling of their children
To promote cooperative activities between local and regional authorities in partner countries using the following themes:
To support families to help their children learn
To increase parent and child interaction time on literacy based activities
To support parents own literacy and numeracy needs
To encourage the notion of lifelong learning.

Expected main results:
Turkish partners to host project, create a virtual space for sharing ideas, resources and materials. They will also support parents through the provision of workshops, developing a Parent Suppport Programme for parents of 5-15 year olds, using a one to one approach to identify needs.
Irish partners will design, implement and deliver a 16 hour 8 week programme for parents based on their identified needs. Produce a booklet for parents on key ways to support their children’s learning at various stages of schooling.
Develop a website in one primary school for Roma children to engage in learning in a fun way, valuing their home language whilst encouraging the learning of English.
An exhibition of work completed at the end of the project disseminating ideas and learning.

Expected impact and use:
Improved knowledge and relationships with Roma families in both Turkish and Irish locations.
Improved working relationships between local providers and new working relationships between Turkish and Irish regions, maximising the skills within the project
Improved interest by Roma families in what education has to offer
Reduced problems at school for children and improved achievements
Learning from each of the partners on the project and their existing knowledge of working with Roma families.