In September 2018, Maynooth University lanched the highly innovative Turn to Teaching Project, which is a collaborative project between Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education (MU), Department of Education (MU), Department of Adult and Community Education (MU), and the Maynooth University Access Programme. Turn to Teaching aims to reconceptualise the pathways into initial teacher education with a view to widening participation for the most underrepresented groups in teaching. The programme is funded by the Higher Education Authority (PATH 1 Fund) and Maynooth University. The project consists of the following three programmes:
Maynooth University Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education
ToggleThink about Teaching
Think about Teaching is a year long foundation access course which aims to provide students from groups currently underrepresented in teaching with the academic, social and personal supports needed to enter Initial Teacher Education degrees in Maynooth University.
Rising Teacher, Rising Leaders
Rising Teacher, Rising Leaders provides a two year programme of activities which supports the teaching aspirations and academic development of 20 senior cycle, second-level students attending DEIS schools. It also provides 20 teachers from underrepresented groups in teaching, and those who have faced obstacles in their own journey to teaching, with the opportunity to mentor the Rising Teachers (second level students), and a suite of accredited CPD options to support their leadership capacity.
Tar Linn ag Teagasc
In partnership with Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education and Lárionad na Gaeilge, the Tar Linn ag Teagasc programme provides students on the Think about Teaching foundation course and the second-level students on the Rising Teachers programme, with tailored Irish supports to assist them to reach the entry requirements for primary teaching and to encourage participants to become future teachers of Irish.