Communitites of Practice (COPS)

Communities of Practice (COPS) and Clusters in the DCU CSN

We have 28 schools in the DCU CSN and each school has a number of Change Leaders.

Change Leaders are invited to work in Communities of Practices or COP’s.

• COP: Children’s Rights

• COP: Climate Justice 

• COP: Social Justice 

• COP: Special Schools

• COP: Changemaker Schools Identity and Whole School Support

COP: Children’s Rights

Led by Sinead Ni Bhradaigh, a Change Leader in GETNS (Galway Educate Together). This COP explores the development of Childrens Advisory Panels.

This COP meetings once a term, online and Change Leaders are provided the space to explore children’s rights, participation and agency in their own contexts and to learn about others.

COP: Climate Justice 

Led by post-doctoral researcher Joan Whelan the COP on climate justice focusses on outdoor learning, forest schools.

The COP meets very regularly with schools invited to share their own experiences as well as spending time in nature – at least 5 minutes a day!

COP: Social Justice 

Change Leader Ita Noone from St Ultan’s Primary School spearheads this COP. Here Change Leaders explore social justice from many perspectives and domains in particular in/equality in education.

COP: Special Schools

We have three amazing Special Schools in our Network 

The Kolbe Special School

St. Micheal’s School Baldoyle

Little Angels

These three schools have their own COP which is self-organised. The schools are supported by DCU Changemaker Fellow Laura Gormley.

COP: Changemaker Schools Identity and Whole School Support

This COP is facilitated by Gary Farrell. Gary is the Principal of Our Lady and St. Mohua’s in Armagh. Gary has been working with the Changemaker Schools since 2014 and is an expert in the identity, philosophy, and work of the DCU Changemaker Schools.

This COP supports schools in building their Changemaker School identity, their children and provides advice.