Carolyn Webster-Stratton, Developer of the Incredible Years®, has written a blog about her recent visit to Dundalk and Drogheda.
You can read it by clicking this link Incredible Years Blog
The developer of the Incredible Years®, Carolyn Webster-Stratton, visited a number of early years services, schools and community groups who are delivering a range of programmes as part of The Genesis Programme.
It was a whistle stop two day tour of Dundalk and Drogheda as early years services, schools and community based statutory groups threw open their doors to welcome Carolyn, showing the Incredible Years in action and demonstrating the impact it is having on their own community, their practitioners/teachers and of course their children and their families.
There were two truly Incredible Years Graduations held recently at the D Hotel in Drogheda and the Crowne Plaza in Dundalk.
In total over 80 graduates received their certificates at the two events from Carolyn Webster-Stratton, Developer of the Incredible Years
As always at these events, there were truly inspiring testimonies from the a number of parents.
At both events also, the Parent & Baby Programme mammies brought their babies and they really added to the occasion.
Carolyn Webster-Stratton gave uplifting keynote speeches at the two events and presented the parents with their certificates.
Two days never to be forgotten!
Twenty-five Incredible Years® who are accredited in a variety of programmes were recognised for their achievement by Carolyn Webster-Stratton, founder of the Incredible Years®, at a special event held in the Monasterboice Inn and received a memento in acknowledgement of the work they have done.
The Genesis Programme places a high value on coaching, fidelity and accreditation and provide support to Group Leaders in all aspects of delivery. We have developed a set of Best Practice Guidelines for each Group Leader delivering the programme and encourage them to deliver with fidelity to ensure they get the best outcomes for children and families in their respective communities.
Congratulations and well done all!
Pictured are the Accredited Group Leaders who were recognised on the day.
Back Row Left to Right:
Annemarie Ó Murchú, Lisa Cleary, Mary Kearney, Liz Doran, Niamh Donaghy, Kate O’ Brien, Alice Malone, Mary Lennon, Jennifer King, Maeve Murphy, Frances Durnin, Wendy Hoey
Front Row Left to Right:
Eileen Burke, Bernie Pentony, Claire Gleeson, Nora McLoughlin, Carolyn Webster-Stratten (Founder of the Incredible Years®), Siobhán Dunne, Michelle Carr, Antoinette Loughran, Shirley King
Missing from Photo:
Céire Doherty, Lucy Maguire and Mairead Davis
The Genesis Programme launched a new guide, Linking the Learning, for early years practitioners and teachers last Friday. The formal launch was done by Carolyn Webster-Stratton, Developer of the Incredible Years®, during her three day visit to Louth.
The purpose of the Linking the Learning guide is to clearly demonstrate to early year mangers, early year practitioners, primary school principals and teachers how the Incredible Years® programmes complement the learning goals of the national curriculum framework within both sectors.
Linking the Learning was developed by two members of The Genesis Programme project team – Claire Gleeson (Early Years Development Officer) and Yvonne Forde (Schools Development Officer). Claire and Yvonne gave an insight into the development of the guide and an overview of its contents at the event.
Claire and Yvonne worked in conjunction with all the participating Early Year Services and Primary Schools listed below, who have kindly allowed us permission to use photos of the Incredible Years® in action and throughout the document early year managers, practitioners, school principals and teachers have shared detailed accounts of implementing The Incredible Years within their services and schools.
Drogheda Schools and Early Years Services:
Dundalk Schools and Early Years Services:
The Genesis Programme in conjunction with its four Area Coordination Teams (ACTs) hosted a series of Parent Forums in Dundalk and Drogheda recently, with great attendances at each and lots of useful discussion and information..
The focus of all four was on Bullying and Online Safety for Children and each had a range of expert speakers on this topic.
At the North Dundalk Forum, the speakers included James Neary (Children of the Digital Age) and Paul Egan. Paul Burke (Community Garda) was the MC.
At the South Dundalk Forum, the speakers included Pól Bond (NEPS), Wayne Denner (Digital Ninja) and Imogen Nolan (ISPCC). The speakers along with JLO John Brady also took part in a Q&A. Carol-Anne White (HSCL Scoil Eoin Baiste) was MC.
At the South Drogheda Forum, the speakers included Dave Rothwell (Community Garda), Anita O’Shea (Juvenile Liaison Officer), Deborah James (Child and Adult Mental Health Service Psychologist) and Grainne Farren (Youth Development Worker with Boomerang Youth Service). The speakers also took part in a Q&A session. Bairbre English (HSCL Marymount NS) was the MC.
At the North Drogheda Forum, the speakers included Paul Egan and James Neary (Children of the Digital Age). Maire Devine (HSCL St.Brigid’s NS & St. Patrick’s NS) was MC and Audrey Lynch (HSCL Presentation NS) was scribe for the morning.
Other community organisations were also in attendance at all four forums to highlight the supports they can offer.
The idea of bringing parents together or a Parent Forum came about as a result of a group of parents wanting to continue to meet following completion of a Parent Programme in Muirhevnamór, Dundalk in 2011.
It was pretty obvious from their meetings that these parents were gaining a lot of support and learning from each other. So, the idea developed into bringing all parents together who had completed a parent programme. We started off with Parent Forums in Dundalk and then in Drogheda.
In May, 2017, The Genesis Programme held a number of Focus Groups with parents to find out how they wanted the Parent Forums to operate and parents were clearly saying that they wanted a Parent Forum to be localised, in their own communities – hence the reason, we are having 4 Parent Forums in Co. Louth next week – one in North Drogheda, one in South Drogheda, one in South Dundalk and one in North Dundalk.
When parents were asked which the issues they would most like to discuss at the Parent Forums, all four areas agreed that bullying was the main issue impacting on children and parents lives at the moment. The issue of mental health was also addressed. That is the reason why all four Parent Forums focused on bullying and mental well-being,
At the University of Turku on Monday 5th March 2018, The Genesis Programme and Finland University formally signed a Licence Agreement for the delivery of the KiVa Programme in Ireland.
Pictured are Pasi Kaskinen, Executive Vice President of Finland University and Hugh Doogan, Programme Manager with The Genesis Programme.
Also pictured above is Johanna Alanen, International Project Manager with KiVa.
Five members of The Genesis Programme team are now certified Kiva Trainers. They are: Alice Malone, Hugh Doogan, Claire Gleeson, Yvonne Forde and Laura Sherry.
The Genesis Programme made a small presentation to our hosts and partners in the form of a framed print with the inscription ‘Mol an Óige agus Tiocfaidh Sí’ (Praise the Young and They will Flourish).
For more information on the KiVa Anti-Bullying Programme please click here KiVa Anti-Bullying Programme
Good coverage of The Changing Lives Initiative in Co Louth in the Dundalk Democrat this week (Week beginning 12th February 2018). For more information email The Changing Lives Initiative Louth
The Genesis Programme will commence implementation of the KiVa Anti-Bullying Programme in April 2018 with the project team first undertaking training next month.
Click on the link to watch a short video on what KiVa is all about The KiVa Programme
The Genesis Programme (with Louth Leader Partnership as Lead Agency) is seeking to recruit a part-time Development Officer (3 days per week) to coordinate the delivery of the Incredible Years and the KiVa Anti-Bullying Programme through primary schools in Monaghan, subject to funding.
Duration
Fixed-Term contract to 31st August 2019 subject to satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.
Employer
Louth Leader Partnership
Reporting to
Programme Manager, The Genesis Programme
Purpose of the Role
The role of the position is to support the delivery and implementation of The Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management Programme and The KiVa Anti-Bullying Programme in primary schools in Co. Monaghan as part of a Peace IV project (subject to funding)..
For more details please see www.activelink.ie/content/vacancies/education-training/35330
Partners have a key role to play supporting mums who struggle with their mental health after having a baby but little is known about their experience.
If your partner has recently given birth and experienced a postnatal mental health problem PMD Partners’ Study would like to hear from you.
If you would like more information, or would like to take part, please contact Jill Atkinson by email atkinsje@tcd.ie or call 087 0629892
A very Happy Christmas to all the children and families who have engaged with The Genesis Programme over the last three years and to all the early years practitioners, teachers, community workers and Group Leaders who make that happen.
We wish all of the partner organisation staff and all the stakeholders who support the consortium a very Happy Christmas as well and we look forward to working with everyone in 2018.
Nollaig Shona.
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