Page 32 - Aidlink Annual Report 2020
P. 32

   DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION
Immersion Spotlight:
  Who
Jennifer McGuire Teacher Blackrock College
My name is Jennifer McGuire and I am a Religion and English teacher in Blackrock College. In 2020, I was blessed with being asked to accompany a group of transition year students on an immersion trip to Sultan Hamud in Kenya. This experience was a turning point for me in how I approach education and how I view the world around me.
My initial thoughts on the journey from Ireland to Kenya were somewhat mixed as I was both excited to meet the teachers and staff of our sister school, but I also experienced some level of anxiety and fear of the unknown. I was concerned about how the staff and students would initially view us. I have always been very aware of this “white saviour” image of the global north. The anxiety of being perceived as someone who held power and privilege was an initial concern of mine. However, this concept was quickly diminished and deconstructed as
 What we arrived at our sister school and were immediately told the rules,
Aidlink Immersion Programme
Where
Kenya
Feb 2020
When
the schedule, and the expectations they had of us. Any initial fear or anxiety I had was quickly gone.
During the immersion program I had the chance to meet with teachers, year heads and school management in a series of meetings. We discussed our schools approaches to behaviour, wellbeing, additional educational needs etc. This was an amazing experience
for me as I was able to gain great insight into the similarities and differences that exist in our schools. This series of meetings in which we exchanged ideas and experiences has laid the foundations for a real partnership between the staff members of our schools.
This year (2021) students could not travel to Kenya on immersion due to Covid-19. However, the power of immersion really shone through the dismal clouds of the pandemic as the relationship between Blackrock and the Holy Ghost Schools in Sultan Hamud. This year our TY students worked on a joint project with their peers in Kenya taking part in a series of events throughout the year via Zoom. Students organised
an online mass to celebrate the founder of our school community in which students from both schools participated in readings and music. TYs then met with their counterparts in Kenya via zoom multiple
times to carry out a research project into the value of immersion.
They produced amazing videos, bonded as a group, and made friends across different continents. All of this culminated in a global showcase whereby students from Spiritan schools across Ireland, Nigeria,
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