ADVOCACY

Advocacy at CBS Kilkenny

Across a broad and diverse range of social areas, CBS Kilkenny students actively engage with their community and society. Through our Cumann ERST, our Green Schools Committee and our immersion in Global Citizenship Education, our students learn to find their own voices, articulate their concerns and to advocate for those who are weakest in society.

Global Citizenship Education

What is Global Citizenship Education?

Global Citizenship Education (GCE) is an educational process aimed at increasing awareness and understanding of the rapidly changing, interdependent and unequal world in which we live. By challenging stereotypes and encouraging independent thinking, GCE helps students critically explore the root causes of global justice issues and how they interlink with our everyday lives.

How it works

Global Citizenship Education:

Is about teaching and learning through a global justice lens
Allows students to explore the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values necessary to become global citizens
Cultivates the key skills at Junior and Senior Cycle
Facilitates students to take action for a more just and sustainable world

Global Passport Award

CBS Kilkenny has for the first year applied for the Global Passport Award. This award recognises the commitment and work carried out in CBS Kilkenny to promote Global Citizenship Education across the whole school community. It is the school's aim to promote GCE across curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. Our GCE banner is proudly displayed to both students and visitors showing the various aspects of GCE activities throughout the school. Both the staff and student GCE committee's aim to make the whole school community aware of the chosen goal for the academic year.

Promoting Social and Ecological Justice in CBS Kilkenny

Here in CBS Kilkenny we have been busy promoting social and ecological justice issues over the past
year. Our Cumann ERST and Green Schools Committee work hand in hand with local organisations to provide support where possible. We have been working on the issue of homelessness to promote social justice in our
community.
On the 10th of October to mark “World Homeless Day”, as a school we focused on fundraising in partnership with other schools in the city for the Good Shepherd Centre.Our Cumann ERST approached all local city schools to get involved.
Loreto Kilkenny, Callan CBS and CBS Primary Kilkenny came on board. A range of events were held across the schools. A total of €1950 was raised and a shoebox appeal was held generating 100 shoeboxes with essential goods required by the Good Shepherd Centre.

All Junior Cycle students received a presentation from our Cumann ERST, focused on the issue of homelessness and the need to reduce our plastic waste the school. The main
aim of this was to spread awareness and promote positive action in our school community. This is to ensure that our students are aware of the reasons behind the work that we are doing. Bernadette Moloney, the Kilkenny Environmental Welfare Officer and Cllr. Michael Noonan spoke to our students and staff concerning the role we have to play in reducing our plastic waste and promoting the recycling mentality. They spoke of the importance of promoting sustainable development in our local community. Our Cumann ERST was complimented on the positive actions that they are taking to promote ecological justice.

Our Cumann ERST in action!

"Were we to know the merit and value of only going from one street to another to serve a neighbour for the love of God, we should prize it more than silver and gold". Blessed Edmund Rice.

Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders (EREBB) is an International network of Catholic schools educating young people from many different faiths and cultures. In over 20 countries they endeavor to promote global solidarity and offer a transformational education for justice and liberation. Here at CBS Kilkenny we aim to promote social justice and equality through advocacy. Edmund Rice founded his schools based on the principles of equality and as an ERST school we aim to emulate this through our work. These principles include nurturing faith, promoting partnership, excelling in teaching and learning, creating a caring community and inspiring transformational leadership. At present we are currently working on Eco- justice. Our plans to promote advocacy are outlined below and in our mission statement.

Eco - Justice
The promotion of environmental issues is a core element of the work of our Cumann ERST in conjunction with the Green Schools Committee. We aim to give the environment a voice and spread awareness around best practice here in our local community. Our T.Y students have been busy presenting information on Eco-justice here in the school and we hope to spread this to our community.

Spreading awareness and inspiring action through Eco-justice

We began our project in October 2018. As our project was based on ecological justice we decided that Climate Action Week was the perfect way to launch our new Cumann ERST. The students on the committee prepared a PowerPoint based on the dangers of Climate Change and small everyday changes we can all make. We also ran a poster competition and a photography competition to help spread awareness. Each student in the school made a climate action pledge. This was a great success and we managed to reach the wider community through the use of social media. In November we became involved in the 'Plastic Free 4 Schools' initiative. We went on local radio to discuss our plans to become plastic free and spoke on the dangers of plastic. As part of this we also contacted all schools in Kilkenny and we will meet in early 2019 to put together a community action plan to tackle environmental issues locally and nationally. Our main aim is to give the environment a voice and speak out against environmental injustices. Follow the links below for further information.

Our ERI Ambassadors leading the way informing 1st Years

Plastic Pledge

PlasticFree4Schools KK

Save Our Seas Campaign

ERI Ambassadors, Minister Denis Stanton and Mr. Mulhall

On the 28th of February we attended a talk entitled 'Save Our Seas' which was delivered by Senator Grace O' Sullivan and Minister David Stanton. Our ERI ambassadors met with ambassadors from other schools and shared ideas. Senator O' Sullivan delivered an inspiring speech and left the ambassadors with an important message - never be afraid to speak out and take opportunities to improve our world. Minister Stanton spoke on the importance of the U.N Sustainable Development Goals and the need for young people to become involved in such initiatives.

Upon returning to the school our ambassadors have decided to put an emphasis on spreading awareness on the Sustainable Development Goals. We believe that these are key to promoting global and social justice. Senator O' Sullivan emphasised the importance of youth action and leadership and this is clear for all to see here in CBS Kilkenny.

International Earth Hour 2019

International Earth Hour takes place each year on the 30th of March. The purpose of this event is to encourage people to turn their lights off for the earth for one hour between 8.30 - 9.30 p.m. As part of our Eco - Justice programme our T.Y Cumann ERST have been contacting local businesses to get them on board. We hope to see Kilkenny in darkness on the night. We have had a great response so far and we look forward to establishing this as an annual event that we promote.

We believe that International Earth Hour highlights the importance of environmental awareness and personal responsibility. We will also be asking all of our students to do their best to take part at home. It is a small gesture for the environment but can make a massive difference. It reminds us to be conscious of our daily choices and the impact that they have on our world. We are all interconnected and when we come together we can be a powerful force for change. For more information watch the video below.

Our TY students busy preparing for International Earth Hour

Spreading Our Message

Our T.Y students have been busy spreading their message of Advocacy in our school community. The students have been presenting workshops within the Junior C.S.P.E classes. The workshop covers the history of Edmund Rice, his vision and his mission, Edmund Rice International and the work our Cumann ERST does here in the school to promote Advocacy.

The students discussed the importance of Eco-Justice and promoted our Green Schools and World Wide Global Schools Programme. They also highlighted the national homeless crises which has reached an all time high with over 10,000 homeless people in Ireland at the moment - almost 3,500 of these are children. This is a great example of student leadership here in CBS Kilkenny.

TY students delivering the Edmund Rice Advocacy Workshop

Agents of Change

Ms. Evison and our 'Agents of Change'

Over the years CBS Kilkenny has had a strong link with Concern. Each year Ms. Evison and a team of dedicated students organise the Concern fast here in the school. This year the school received a welcome bonus when we were chosen to take part in an Immersion Experience in Sierra Leona as a result of our fundraising efforts. Ms. Evison and two students will travel in July 2019.

In March our 'Agents of Change' team attended the 'Concern Agents of Change' conference in Croke Park. On the day our students spoke of the work we do here in CBS to promote social justice in the third world. The students spoke of the importance of supporting charities and the of the need for quality transformative education in schools.

Over the past number of years CBS Kilkenny has been committed to promoting social change and caring for the less-fortunate. This is inspired by the mission and vision of Edmund Rice. It is fair to say that our students are following in the footsteps of Edmund in promoting social justice and striving for equality. We wish Ms. Evison and the two students the best of luck on their trip later this year!

Local Politics

On Friday the 10th of May our Advocacy Committee met with the Mayor of Kilkenny, Peter 'Chap' Cleere in the Tholsel. The students were given a tour a tour of the town hall and Peter Cleere explained how local politics work and discussed the importance of youth advocacy in local politics. Our Committee had prepared a number of questions based on the environment and homelessness at a local level. The students were inspired by their visit to the town hall and were surprised by the changes that can be made on local level. Our students asked about the process involved in bringing about change at a local level and expressed a desire to be more involved in local politics.