Journey Together
The ‘Journey Together’ project was initiated in 2016 by the Church Leaders in the North West area who together with secondary school Principals and History Teachers developed a programme that focused on the events of 100 years ago and their lasting legacy
Together, church leaders, teachers and students learnt about our shared history and appreciate how these events should be jointly celebrated. They envisioned the society that they would see 30 years from now, and explored the role they could play in creating a shared future.
The critical focus of the project is to provide an opportunity for joint and shared education as opposed to exploring commemoration in isolation with a pre-defined single narrative.
The Project
There were 14 cross community schools involved in the project which had engaged history teachers and a total of 60 students.
The project consisted of:
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Two workshops where they learnt about the Easter Rising and the Battle of the Somme via different digital practices, and produce materials that were showcased back at assembly or class groups in their individual schools.
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An educational study trip to Dublin which included a visit to the World War I Memorial Gardens, a guided walking tour focusing on the Easter Rising and a visit to Collins Barracks
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An educational study trip to The Somme Heritage Center where they examined Ireland's role in the 1st World War with special reference to the cross-community involvement in the 3 local volunteer Divisions: the 10th and 16th (Irish) Divisions and the 36th (Ulster) Division.
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A visit to the Museum services exhibition examining student reflections 1916 – 2016.
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A final commemoration service where the outcomes of the project were showcased and students got a chance to tell their story about the ‘Journey Together’