Citywise Midschool

full-time education programme for young people aged 12 to 15 years who are outside the formal school system. This is run in Jobstown, Tallaght.
Citywise Midschool

Citywise afterschool education programmes

Involving academic work, sport, and youth club activities. These include Junior & Senior Fast Track, programmes to encourage third level participation. These take place at varying levels in all centres.
Citywise Afterschool

Citywise summer educational programmes

Full-time education and sports programmes held throughout the summer months to provide practical, useful and interesting pastimes for local youth, while maintaining a focus on personal development. Again these usually take place at all Citywise locations.
Citywise summer educational programmes

 

Midschool

Young people living in disadvantaged communities who are out of school for any appreciable length of time are highly likely to become involved in anti-social behaviour or criminal behaviour, and to further alienate themselves from normal society.

Midschool aims to break the spiral of disaffection in the lives of such young people through the provision of formal support, built around the need for education, for those young people who are not easily integrated into the school system. To this end, it provides full-time educational support to non-schoolgoers throughout the academic year, seeking to raise their educational and personal standards and, where feasible, reintegrate them into the formal education system. In general, this means providing an as near to possible full-time school experience, together with personal and social supports, bearing in mind the circumstances of those enrolled and the reasons why they are not attending formal school.

The achievement of these objectives is strongly influenced by the public and private resources available to Midschool, and thus will vary according to funding successes. Specifically, the Citywise Midschool objectives currently are:

  • to provide a welcoming and positively supportive peer environment where students feel at home and grow in commitment to their education and personal development
  • to provide an educational service mainly for boys aged 12 to 15 years who are outside the formal education system
  • to provide a basic curriculum including Irish, English, Maths, History, Geography, Personal and Social Development skills, Religious Knowledge, Sports, Outdoor Pursuits;
  • to provide opportunities for non-school goers to sit external examinations, specifically the Junior Certificate
  • to provide personal mentoring support to help increase the possibility of returning to formal school, to reduce involvement of non-schoolgoers in risk behaviours and in anti-social activity and to help raise levels of employability
  • provide advice and support and ongoing help so that the young person can take the next vocational or educational step with confidence.
Midschool Lesson in progress Midschool Lesson in progress
 

Afterschool programmes

A mixture of homework help, social support with sports and outdoor activities to encourage young people to take schooling seriously

Citywise clubs

Practise, tuition and training in sports or other activities to help develop skills to a high level. Current clubs include Music Club (bodhran, tin-whistle, guitar and accordion); Canoe Club; Karate Club; Soccer club; Basketball Club; Snooker Club; Table tennis club.

Leadership Training

A training programme in leadership for members aged 15 years +. As part of this programme many young people take part in the Gaisce/President’s Award —a national award at three levels (bronze, silver and gold) for undertaking challenges in a range of areas over one or two years.

School Fun Days

In conjunction with local primary schools Citywise Education holds seven School Fun days each year.

CDI Doodle Den

In partnership with West Tallaght CDI, Citywise Education hosts five intensive literacy programmes for over 60 young children (aged 5/6 years) in the west Tallaght area. These programmes commenced in September 2008 and run throughout the school year.

 

Summer programmes

Every summer a range of week-long programmes, including occasional overnight trips, are held to cater for a wide membership and their friends. These programmes are held at all Citywise and Citywise Education locations.