St. Mary's College, Arklow

Comenius Project

Transition Year 2010 - 2012

St Mary's College is proud to be the Irish school participating in the EU funded Comenius project titled 'Democracy and Me - Finding My Voice'. There are seven countries involved in the two year project; England, Iceland, Ireland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and Turkey.

The project involves a study of democracy as it operates in school through the school council, an investigation of government at local and national level in Ireland and then it broadens out to incorporate the wider European Union.

Students also study how democracy is portrayed in film - each school studies and reviews a film chosen by a partner school. The project also affords the opportunity to a number of students to visit the other participating countries.

Aims

• To help students achieve an understanding and knowledge of themselves and their counterparts in the partner countries.
• To work directly with partner schools in England, Iceland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and Turkey.
• Students will open their minds to different ways of thinking, seeing and organizing society.
• To learn to value our system of democracy and representation.
• To foster an interest in politics in Ireland and in the wider European community.
• Students will recognise English as a language of access to knowledge and will appreciate its importance as a means of communication and international understanding.
• To develop skills of communication.

A selection of the work carried out by the participating schools can be viewed on www.findingmyvoice.verslo.is/