Former Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Dr. Katherine Zappone Addresses B.Ed Students

On October 19th 2023, former Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Dr. Katherine Zappone gave an invited lecture, Moral agency for systemic change:

A personal and political reflection to an audience of 400 B.Ed students, as well as some IoE colleagues and Educational Disadvantage Centre researchers.

In a wide ranging speech, she reflected on the influence of former US President Kennedy on her attitudes to social change when growing up, while emphasising to the students the importance of giving expression to their personal and social identities as part of social activism. The focus of her presentation was on key aspects of system change building on her own work with the late Dr. Ann Lpuise Gilligan in establishing An Cosan Community Lifelong Learning Centre in Tallaght, now the largest such Centre in Ireland, on their leadership in the Marriage Equality campaign, as well as her work while Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.

Other speakers at the Centre's event were DEIS school principals, Niamh Murray, Rutland St., Cpnor McCarthy, Tallaght Community National School and Gwen Williams,  Assistant Principal, St Brigid’s JNS, Brookfield, Tallaght. They spoke on their work as agents of change and on their experiences working in DEIS schools and local communities.