Community Outreach Programmes

Interested in sharing your experience as a Mature Student in DCU & making a difference in other adults’ lives?

The Community Outreach team at DCU collaborates with the local community surrounding DCU to encourage more mature students to consider university as a viable option. This is achieved through various initiatives, including campus tours, workshops, talks, fairs, and community events.

We are now forming a panel of Mature Students interested in giving occasional talks to prospective students, and we would love you to be in touch with us!

If you're interested, please sign up here.

Aside from the satisfaction you will gain from supporting your peers, this presents a great opportunity for you to enhance your communication, presentation, and public speaking skills.

For more information, contact laurence.vanderhaegen@dcu.ie

Headstart is a 10-week programme for adults seeking to explore their educational opportunities. It is a partnership between DCU and the Adult Education Service in Ballymun, which aims to improve access to education for:

People from communities lacking a strong tradition of participation in higher-level education.
Adults who have been away from education for a considerable time, or who did not finish secondary education.
Individuals needing to update their skills to access the labour market.

The aim of the programme is to:

Promote access to further and higher education.
Help students make informed choices throughout their educational journey.
Support individuals returning to education.
Help students identify their skills, strengths, and goals.
Showcase available educational services and support.

Eligibility Criteria?

Applications are welcome from individuals who:

Are no longer in school and interested in re-entering education and/or upskilling
Are over 18 years of age
Reside in North Dublin

Application Process

Step 1: Info session

Open information sessions in the Autumn of 2025 for the next programme.

Step 2: Application Form SOON

Deadline to apply:tbc

Step 3: Informal interview

Applicants will be invited to attend an interview in the Autumn.

When, where and how long?

The programme will run over 10 weeks.

The workshops will take place at the location between the Ballymun Adult Education Service and DCU Glasnevin.

Lecturer teaching students in a classroom

Mentoring training with DCU students

Change Makers is a mentoring programme co-funded by the DCU Access Service and College Connect that aims to create a transformative experience for all participants, both mentors and mentees, through participatory and experiential activities.

The programme brings together students from under-represented groups with 2nd-year students from our BA in Social Sciences and Cultural Innovation. It is run in partnership with the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences in DCU, Youthreach and Trinity Comprehensive in Ballymun.

If you currently work with one of the groups identified inthe National Access Plan, you may be interested in running the programme in your organisation.

For more information, contact: Laurence Van der Haegen, Community Outreach Officer at laurence.vanderhaegen@dcu.ie.

Outreach with Traveller & Roma
Pathways workshops

The DCU Access Service and the Traveller and Roma Education Officer collaborate closely in the Greater Dublin area, offering workshops on entry routes, pathways, and support services in DCU.

We offer a range of support both in schools and in the community:

School talks, workshops in sports, art, creative writing, storytelling, campus tours, and day trips to DCU.
Support to individual Traveller and Roma senior cycle students in their progression to further and third-level education.
Workshops with parents/adults within the community include beady pockets, candle making, tapestry, and educational workshops.

For further information, please contact our Traveller & Roma Education Officer, harry.mallon@dcu.ie

College Connect at DCU primarily concentrates on engaging prospective students through regional workshops referred to as Pathways. These workshops are tailored to meet the specific needs of each group and provide information, resources, and personalised advice on accessing higher education. They cover Applications, Grants and funding, Requirements, and what prospective students can anticipate at a higher education institution, including post-entry resources and support.

To find out more, visit the College Connect website: https://collegeconnect.ie/

Our Neighbour, Our Friend
Teaching as a Career

Our invitation

DCU Access invites community organisations to partner up with us to host an 'Our Neighbour, Our Friend' event in your community.

So far, this gathering has occurred at the Ballymun Axis and the Finglas Youth Resource Centre, providing an opportunity to highlight DCU Access Community Outreach initiatives and examine future collaborations aimed at enhancing access to education for the most underrepresented groups in the surrounding community areas. Next event: Balbriggan, Autumn 2025.

For more information, contact Laurence.vanderhaegen@dcu.ie.

Students at a lecture

Teaching as a Career

If you are passionate about education or interested in a career in teaching, why not join our talk in Autumn 2025 to explore all teaching courses at DCU?

Covering teaching courses at the DCU Institute of Education:

Early childhood education
Primary teaching
Post-Primary teaching
Further education and training

Find out all the supports available to you if you are a HEAR/DARE eligible student. Current and past students will share their experiences studying at DCU.

Date: Autumn 2025

College Connect is a regional outreach programme in the MEND (Midlands, East, North Dublin) Cluster between DCU, Maynooth University, Dundalk Institute of Technology and Technological University on the Shannon.

College Connect aims to increase participation in Third-Level Education for groups identified by the HEA (Higher Education Authority) as traditionally having less participation in Higher Education. These groups are:

Irish Travellers
Members of the Roma Community
Lone parents and students from One-parent families
Young people who have been in care of the state
People with disabilities
Refugees & International Protection Applicants
People from lower socio-economic groups
First time Mature students
Further education award holders

College Connect aims to analyse the needs of the community and to design creative interventions with our target groups and stakeholders. These include community organisations, local authorities, and industry organisations.

Through these interventions, College Connect aims to raise the aspirations of potential students, enhance motivation through mentoring programmes, and increase awareness while informing prospective students about their pathways into higher education.

College Connect carried out a number of Community Needs Analyses (CNA). This style of research is peer-led and gives ownership to the community at the centre of the community research.

Community Needs Analysis for Prisoners

In 2019, College Connect conducted an action research project with the Pathways Education Centre for Prisoners and Former Prisoners. The aim was to ascertain how to better support individuals with prior convictions in making progress towards college.

Community Needs Analysis with FET students

Undertaken in 2022, this research employed participative and creative approaches to promote collaborative leadership and engagement throughout all phases of the research process. The aim was to determine how to better support their progression to higher education.

Community Needs Analysis with Refugees & People in the Asylum Process

College Connect conducted this Community Needs Analysis (CNA) in collaboration with the Irish Refugee Council. Participatory and creative methods engaged participants with lived experience of the protection process to explore access issues and barriers impacting their involvement in further or higher education. The research offers key insights into the community's experiences and provides recommendations.