A project that could well have a life-long positive effect on some of Drogheda’s most marginalised and impoverished young people was launched on Thursday (Feb 7).
Fittingly for a project that is designed to teach young people and their parents about the history of the town and district in which they live, it’s called Drogheda Past and the launch took place at St. Laurence’s Gate which has been the backdrop to life in the town for centuries.
Drogheda Past is a two-year project being run by the Local Education Committee (LEC) which is made up of the Home School Community Liaison Coordinators in the seven DEIS schools (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) in Drogheda as well as other groups and agencies working with young people and adults in the town.
The LEC has run other successful projects in the past for example, Drogheda Reads, Drogheda Moves, Drogheda Counts, Drogheda Minds and most recently, Drogheda Grows.
Drogheda Past is aimed at children, parents and the local community of Drogheda. There are 3206 families across the seven DEIS schools involved in the project, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Drogheda Past will be an evolving project with input from local individuals and groups with an interest in the history of Drogheda and how important that is in instilling a sense of place and belonging to young people from varying backgrounds, but the framework will be as follows.
Year One
- St. Oliver’s Community College will hold an art competition for the pupils to design a poster for the project. Prizes will be presented at the launch.
- The parents and members of the local community will be brought on Historical walking Tours of Drogheda. They will be given booklets with information about each site and a guide will take them around one site each week.
- Transition Year students in St. Oliver’s C.C. will be trained as guides during year one and will give tours to children in the local primary schools in year two.
- Link with DRAWDA Outreach programme by the Droichead Arts Centre.
- End of year parent trip to Oldbridge, the Battle of the Boyne site
Year Two
- The focus will be on the history of the town itself and the different eras. A ‘Drogheda Past’ family booklet will be created and distributed through the schools.
- The primary school children will go on Historical Walking Tours.
- The parents and members of the local community will look at and learn about the murals that are being created by artists supported by the Droichead Arts Centre.
- End of year parent trip to Newgrange.
