Locals receive certificates from ‘Virtual College’
SIX WEXFORD students, who have been studying at Southend Family Resource Centre as part of An Cosán Virtual Community College, received certificates recently at a graduation ceremony in St. Catherine’s Church, Thomas Street, Dublin.
Niamh Reynolds, Michelle Murphy, Emily O’Rourke, Nicole Gabbet, Michael Roche and Betty Roche had been studying in Wexford, with the assistance of Colm O’Muiri, coordinator at the Southend Centre. They received certificates in Community Leadership, Citizenship and Social Action.
The programmes are funded by Waterford Wexford Education Training Board (ETB) through their community education training programme. An Cosán has developed a strong partnership with Southend Family Resource Centre, one which began in April 2016 with 12 participants enrolling on a ten-week accredited blended online programme in Learning to Learn at Third Level.
Since then, the group has completed four programmes, each being a step closer to a yearlong certificate which they will receive on completion of two more programmes. An Cosán delivers face-to-face workshops in the centre and learners log in each week for a two-hour live online class.
Speaking about the programme, Mr. O’Muiri said: ‘We were looking for third level qualification for our participants in Wexford and we were particularly interested in Community Development because we wanted to engage young community leaders in the area. Since working with An Cosán VCC we have found that this model of community education really works, it removes the barriers that exist for our participants. It provides education on your doorstep and for us it is literally on the doorstep, at least five or six of the participants walk into the centre from their houses across the road. ‘The access it provides is huge, the online element allows students to login from home if they are sick or if their child has to stay at home from school, they can still login and access the class. Cost is also a huge barrier to many people accessing higher education and we are very lucky that the ETB believed in this programme and have a vision to support this group through to degree level.’