CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
The toolkit topics include: • Introduction to the Principles and Practices of Community-Based Learning • The Roles and Responsibilities of the Institute • The Student, and Community Partners • Communication Tools and Techniques to Support the Civic Role • Techniques for Community-Based Learning This new civic engagement learning and assessment opportunity in GMIT has enhanced the student learning experience and is now cultivating a new generation of graduates who can relate better to democracy, diversity and social responsibility issues. In the Building and Civil Engineering department, Civic Engagement has allowed students to work on multi-disciplinary projects across the Architectural Technology, Civil Engineering, Quantity Surveying and Construction Management Programmes. Working in partnership with the nearby Lakeview School, students have used their academic knowledge and skills to work on projects of benefit to the community partner. These include planning, building upgrade, and health and safety projects. The students from Lakeview School also visited GMIT and integrated with the students in drawing and surveying workshops.
Engaging GMIT Students in Responsible and Challenging Actions for the Common Good GMIT offers a Service-Learning module titled ‘Civic Engagement’ and a learning support toolkit. It is currently available to students in 2nd, 3rd or 4th year of their programme as an elective. The new civic engagement module is aimed at multi-disciplinary groups and integrates community engagement activities with academic programmes in GMIT. To date, students from the Business, Tourism and Arts and the Engineering schools have undertaken the module and engaged in community projects with a range of charity organisations such as COPE, local primary schools and international non-profit organisations such as Camara Education. The new learning toolkit developed functions as the students’ main reference point for the GMIT Civic Engagement Module. It contains content for a series of workshops and tutorials, serves as a reference tool for students’ placement in the community (learning through service), and outlines the assessment methods for the GMIT Civic Engagement module.
Eight teams from six schools took part in the West of Ireland CanSat Final held in GMIT, which was organised by GMIT's Schools Liaison Office, Departments of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and Electronic and Electrical Engineering. CanSat is an exciting European Space Agency Competition, where secondary school pupils work in teams to build and launch miniature satellites. 42
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