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Gaisce and Oberstown

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Oberstown’s long-standing collaboration with Gaisce – the President’s Award is a key focus for young people’s activities on campus. Gaisce provides a framework and sets goals to help young people acquire and develop a diverse range of skills, build resilience and self-confidence and focus on positive outcomes.

Gaisce facilitates a programme tailored to the needs of every young person who wants to take part and aims to give each participant the best possible opportunity to earn their award. The programme celebrates the ability and resilience of young people and focuses on helping them realise their full potential.

The shared values between Gaisce and Oberstown continue to make this a fruitful partnership, with benefits across the campus and beyond. Gaisce and Oberstown have a mutual commitment to supporting young people to fulfil their potential, self-direct their personal development and achieve goals across a wide variety of areas and interests.

Earning a Gaisce award brings a sense of achievement, rewarding months and in some cases years of work. Between 2020 and 2023, young people at Oberstown achieved a total of 83 Gaisce awards – 5 gold, 20 silver and 58 bronze.

The Oberstown Activities Coordinator leads the Oberstown programme, liaising with Gaisce and arranging support for young people from teachers, care staff and members of the activities team. Staff members act as President’s Award Leaders (Gaisce PALs), who help the young people to set and achieve their personal challenges in four main areas of activity:

Community involvement

Examples of Gaisce activities by young people in Oberstown include:

  • Artworks for public exhibition at IMMA (Irish Museum of Modern Art)
  • The Rise Garden at Bord Bia Bloom 2023
  • Breath of Fresh Éire public art project
  • Making Christmas wreaths distributed to the local Man O’War Seniors Group and displayed around the campus over the Christmas season. Young people have also designed the Oberstown Christmas card.
  • Young people have made comfort blankets and therapy chairs to support SOSAD Ireland in its initiatives to connect young people impacted by trauma.
  • Young people in Oberstown have made wooden plaques with cheerful designs to help brighten the wards of the Children’s Hospital at Temple Street.
  • Raising funds for children’s charity LauraLynn through two sponsored events – a 5k run on Campus and a 30-day press up challenge.

Personal skills

The Gaisce personal challenge can cover a wide variety of activities – from building skills in sports and pastimes such as snooker, through completing projects in arts and crafts to participation in young people’s programmes [LINK TO ‘YOUNG PEOPLE’S PROGRAMMES’ PAGE].

Physical recreation

Young people work towards personal physical fitness and sporting achievements, which may lead to certification in fitness training or FAI football coaching.

Adventure journey

Young people complete their adventure journey challenge by committing to personal learning objectives. Examples include:

  • Self-awareness programmes, including workshops aimed at understanding relationships and sexuality. [LJNK TO ‘YOUNG PEOPLE’S PROGRAMMES’ PAGE]
  • Restorative practice workshops focused on building better relationships.
  • Street Doctors – a skills programme that gives young people first aid skills to help save lives.