Workshop: Challenging Racial Bias in the Classroom

We are delighted to team with WorldWise Global Schools (WWGS) to present to you Challenging Racial Bias in the Classroom with Susanna Trifiletti. This is a full day workshop taking place in the De la Salle Retreat Centre in Castletown from 10.30-3.30. Places are limited to 20.

Important Info:

Date: March 6, 2025

Time: 10:30 AM – 3:30 PM

Location: De La Salle Centre, Castletown, Co. Laois

Workshop Details

This workshop aims to equip educators with practical strategies and tools to address and respond to microaggressions and racial prejudice in the classroom. This interactive session will focus on the following key objectives:

  1. Engaging in case studies and real-life role-play scenarios to practice and refine responses.
  2. Understanding the roots of racial discrimination and systematic racism.
  3. Learning how to tackle microaggressions in the classroom in real-time effectively.
  4. Developing the ability to choose appropriate facilitation stances in different classroom situations.

About the Facilitator:

Susanna Trifiletti is a secondary Geography, CSPE, and Politics and Society teacher. She has worked with WorldWise Global Schools before and Fishamble Theatre Company, developing workshops for students and teachers alike. She is a trained facilitator in intercultural education, anti-bias education, and “Difficult conversations” practice. Susanna brings a practical approach to the workshop. In the last four years, she has provided training for family centres and primary and secondary schools nationwide, supporting educators in fostering inclusive and equitable learning environments.

You can register here

For more information, please click here 

Assembly Day 2025

Navigating the space between conflict and curiosity:

Exploring controversial issues in GCE

The Ubuntu Network Assembly Event, held in association with the Education Department at Maynooth University, took place on the 15th of January 2025 at Maynooth University campus. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who attended and contributed to making this event so special. Your presence, engagement, and enthusiasm were instrumental in creating a meaningful and inspiring gathering. Thank you for being part of this memorable occasion!

Agenda from the day available: Here

Materials from the day:

Teaching Controversial Issues on the Professional Master of Education programme (Malone, Timmins, 2025)

Teaching Controversial Issues on the Professional Master of Education programme (Malone, Timmins, 2025)

This presentation explores strategies for teaching controversial issues in PME, promoting democratic values, and addressing challenges through dialogue …
Developing curriculum-linked material on the topic of Mother and Baby Homes (Cusack, 2025)

Developing curriculum-linked material on the topic of Mother and Baby Homes (Cusack, 2025)

This presentation explores the journey of creating NCCA resources on Mother and Baby Homes, balancing diverse needs and addressing sensitive topics …
Assembly Day 2025 Group photo
Assembly Day 2025 Members Group Photo

Exploring controversial issues in an educational setting can be a challenging task for educators. Highly emotive topics such as inequality, racism and climate change can draw upon deeply held beliefs and evoke strong feelings that can make discussions uncomfortable and even prompt defensiveness or disagreement. Learners bring a myriad of cultural, political, and personal backgrounds that shape their perspectives, making it easy for discussions to become polarised and debates to become heated.

The skills required to navigate discomfort and ambiguity in a learning space are essential for an educator (teacher educator and pre-service teacher) of Global Citizenship Education. Global development issues are rarely straightforward – they have multiple contributing factors, influences and stakeholders and no clear-cut answers. To democratically explore such issues requires a learning environment where judgement is suspended and participants can engage in respectful discussion, consider differing viewpoints, and develop skills to form their own reasoned opinions. Positive learning experiences are more likely when discussions are held in a safe space for dialogue, and where all students and educators feel comfortable expressing diverse viewpoints without fear of being “cancelled” or judged, feeling blame, being silenced, getting it wrong, or not knowing enough.

How do we support pre-service teachers to broach discussions on contentious issues with confidence in the classroom? What pedagogical approaches might be effective when tackling controversial issues associated with GCE? What challenges arise for educators and students in engaging in this work?

What role do the educator’s personal values, worldviews, and positionality play in teaching about emotive topics? How do we address the challenge of educator subjectivity?

Can we support a culture of discussion and sharing of views in school? Does school/organisational culture and scripted curriculum influence what is discussed and more importantly, what is avoided? Does this impact on our capacity to create learning spaces that reflect democratic principles?

How do we reconcile the values/ethos of a school or organisation with free speech and authentic exploration of controversial issues? How do we navigate the unclear boundaries between free speech, responsible speech and so-called political correctness?

What theoretical/conceptual lenses are useful when building a broader understanding of this complex topic?

Ubuntu/IDEA GCE Research Showcase

We are delighted to team with IDEA to present to you Global Citizenship Education (GCE) Research Showcase 2024 which takes place on Monday 25 November, online, 10.00am -12.30pm.

Research Showcase Details

The aim of this event is to showcase contemporary GCE research. You will be introduced to thought-provoking and engaging inputs and have an opportunity to reflect with fellow participants on the applicability of the concepts discussed to your GCE practice. 

For the purpose of this event, the term research will be taken in its broadest sense, encompassing academic research; action research; documented practice; documented learning; conceptual research articles; case studies etc.

Click here for Schedule

You can register here

For more information on speaker, please see IDEA – Global Citizenship Education Research Showcase 2024

Climate Change Education Seminar 2024

At this year’s Climate Change Education Seminar we celebrated the upcoming publication of the joint Ubuntu – Mary Immaculate edited volume, Teaching climate change in post-primary schools: a multidisciplinary approach.

Date: May 23rd 2024

Location: Cloughjordan Ecovillage, Cloughjordan, Tipperary, E53 VP86

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

Discuss core ideas within chapters

Explore potential to create a Community of Practice to harness the collective energy of the group and how to advocate for CCE in schools

See what is happening in schools via WorldWise Global Schools.

Reflect on how we can support teachers to teach the new Climate Change and Sustainable Development senior cycle subject.

AGENDA

9:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Tea, coffee and a warm welcome!

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Teaching climate change in post-primary schools: A multidisciplinary approach: final steps towards publication

Anne Dolan (Mary Immaculate College) & Deirdre Hogan (Ubuntu Network)

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Bringing climate literacy into schools

Sue Adams (Education for Sustainability)

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM

A human rights approach to Climate Change Education: Experiences from WorldWise Global Schools projects

Lizzie Noone & Laura Power (WorldWise Global Schools)

12:30 AM – 1:45 PM

Lunch

1:45 PM – 3:00 PM

Conversation circles

• Highlighting key themes and pedagogical approaches in the book;
• Exploring opportunities for cross disciplinary teaching and learning;
• Considering approaches to supporting CCE in schools (e.g CoP, teaching of new subject)

3:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Tour of the Eco-village

For more information, contact our Network Coordinator:

Dialogue Day 2024

Dialogue Day 2024

Priority Conversations and Pedagogy for GCE

Dialogue Day brings Network members and colleagues together in a safe space to share, consider and explore their experiences of teaching and engaging in GCE. It provides a variety of perspectives and new lenses through which to reflect upon teaching and professional practice.

Date: June 12th 2024

Location: Hodson Bay, Roscommon Road, Athlone, N37 XR82

Flip through the Dialogue Day Handbook below:

AGENDA

9:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Registration, welcome, coffee and catch-ups!

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Ubuntu Matters

Sharing of emerging areas of work within the Network including the development of a Communications Strategy, establishing priority GCE areas for exploration and members’ needs.

10:40 AM – 11:50 AM

The Role of digital technology in informing young people on GCE related issues

Ollie McGarr (SoE, UL) and Mark Malone (Hope and Courage Collective)

11:50 AM – 12:20 PM

Break, coffee…time for a walk?

12:20 PM – 1:10 PM

Modelling GCE (Parallel Workshops)

GCE in the English Classroom: Exploring social issues through an ‘encounter’ with poetry – Rachel Lenihan (UL)

Knowing me, Knowing You: Reflection, storytelling and empathy as pathways to learning within GCE – Brenda Gallagher and Kathryn Moore (UoG)

1:15 PM – 2:15 PM

Lunch, group photograph

2:15 PM – 3:15 PM

Getting creative with Dissemination

3:15 PM

Finish

For more information, contact our Network Coordinator:

RESOURCES FROM THE DAY

Please find below presentations of the event speakers

The role of digital technology in informing young people on GCE related issues

Ollie McGarr (SoE, UL)

Understanding Hate and Extremism Online

Mark Malone (Hope and Courage Collective)

GCE in the English Classroom: Exploring social issues through
an ‘encounter’ with poetry

Rachel Lenihan (UL)

Knowing me, Knowing You: Reflection, storytelling and
empathy as pathways to learning within GCE

Brenda Gallagher and Kathryn Moore (UoG)

Dialogue Day 2024 Group photo
Dialogue Day 2024 Group Photo

Thank you to everyone who attended, see you next year!

– The Ubuntu Team

Assembly Meeting 2024

Assembly Meeting 2024

The 2024 Assembly Meeting took place 18th January at the Ashling Hotel, Dublin.

AGENDA

9:30 – 10:00am           Registration and Welcome

10:00 – 10:50am         Ubuntu Matters

Consultation with members on emerging areas of work within the Network including the Ubuntu Céim Research Project, developing of a pilot Exemplar of Practice, and plans to develop a Communications Strategy in 2024.

10:50 – 11:15am         Tea, coffee & conversation

11:15 – 12:30pm        The Depth Education for Youth (DEFY) project

                                 Charlotte Bishop (Suas) and Sive Bresnihan (Comhlamh)

DEFY is interested in how we and fellow educators engage with feelings of fear, anxiety, grief, shame, defensiveness, guilt, apathy and more that are present in our education spaces when addressing Global Development Issues. This workshop will provide an insight into the project and allow you the opportunity to reflect on your own practice through an anonymized journaling-style tool.

12:30 – 1:45 pm          Lunch & further conversation

1:45 – 3:15pm            Dialogue on 2023-2024 Projects and Partnerships

Conversations Circles to explore and discuss key questions/considerations arising from 2023-2024 projects as well as the experiences of Partners (UL and UCD) in moving from project to partnership.

3:15- 3:30pm              Closing Remarks

PHOTOS FROM THE DAY

Network Research Meet 2023

Network Research Meet August 30th, 2023

The Ubuntu Network Research Meet provided a space to discuss GCE related research ideas within Initial Teacher Education, and the potential for institutional and inter-interinstitutional research projects.

You can now download the PowerPoint material from the event by clicking the button below!

For more information, please contact Dr. Joanne O’Flaherty, Ubuntu Network Research Lead:

joanne.oflaherty@ul.ie

Dialogue Day 2023



Dialogue Day 2023

June 8th


In Assembly 2023, we explored worldviews and the multitude of factors that influence how we see the world and respond to challenges presented within GCE. In this year’s Dialogue Day, the focus was to expand our thinking to explore such concepts as value orientations, self-perceptions, identity and belonging, and connections with the environment.

The day consisted of practical workshops which afforded a range of opportunities to hear about and experience different pedagogical approaches that prompt student teachers to interrogate global development issues. These included storytelling, visual arts and digital games.

More information on Dialogue Day can be found linked in the Handbook below.

Video Recap of the day