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
“You have changed our lives and helped us achieve a happy home for our child”. Graduating Parent 2018
The first graduates from The Changing Lives Initiative (CLI) received their certificates on the 14th September 2018 at an emotional but beautiful event. Huge congratulations to the parents and their families, the facilitators Sandra Farrell, Siobhan McDonald and Annemarie Ó Murchú as well as Christina Ryan and Eileen Costello Rawat from the CLI team in Louth.
The Changing Lives Initiative only began its work in September 2017 but is already making an impact on local families.
Funded by the European Union’s INTERREG VA programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), the initiative provides an early intervention programme for parents of children at risk of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It is estimated that as many as 5 to 6% of school aged children have ADHD.
People with ADHD experience symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, difficulty finishing tasks, problems with short term memory, difficulty following instructions and often find it hard to sit still. Programmes like this are recommended as the first course of treatment for young children with symptoms of ADHD. They help to promote positive behaviours in children by helping parents to develop the skills that they need to deal with the symptoms that their child is experiencing.
So far this year The Changing Lives Initiative has delivered three 20 session Incredible Years based parent programmes, two in Dundalk and one in Drogheda.
Feedback from parents has been extremely positive with one parent commenting; “It was great to see my child for the great little man he is, to be able to understand him better.” Another says; “You have changed our lives and helped us achieve a happy home for our child”.
Outlining the importance of the event, Gina McIntyre CEO of the SEUPB, said: “The ground breaking approach taken by The Changing Lives initiative is helping to meet the needs of children, and families, with ADHD on both sides of the border. The project itself is very much in-keeping with the EU’s Framework on mental health and well-being which emphasises promotion, quality care and the sharing of best practice. The event today, in which we are delighted to participate, is about celebrating the dedication, commitment and hard work of all those who have undertaken this programme, as well as those who have made it possible. I wish to congratulate everyone involved to date in their achievements, which have, and will continue to have, such a tremendous impact on families on both sides of the border.”
As well as facilitating parent programmes The Changing Lives Team also work to raise awareness of, and create a better understanding about, ADHD.
Deirdre Harnedy, one of the parents who graduated from The Changing Lives Initiative on the 14th September and Facilitator Annemarie Ó Murchú spoke to the LMFM Radio Station’s Mid Morning Show about the impact the programme has had on families participating.
Have a listen from 43:00 on the podcast link below.
Deirdre and Annemarie are pictured with LMFM presenter Paul McKenna. Rumour has it they also bumped into Jake Carter!
The Genesis Programme are delighted to have played a part in bringing this to Dundalk. It seems places are filling up fast so if interested contact 042 – 935 3190.
I AM BABA is a show for babies aged 0-12 months created by Anna Newell and presented in association with The Civic.
I AM BABA is a theatre adventure for babies created by internationally renowned theatre director Anna Newell (www.annanewell.co.uk) and composer David Goodall. Their shows for early years have been seen on all five continents, off-Broadway and in every single Sure Start in Belfast.
I AM BABA – a magical adventure of song, lights and textures for babies aged 0-12 months. It’s a show about identity, agency and personhood. For babies.
I AM BABA is comprised of gorgeous live harmony singing and playful objects – jellyfish-like scarves dance and tiny lights fly in this intimate immersive performance which happens inside a specially designed tent that holds just 6 babies – each with their adult guest.
I AM BABA’S nationwide tour to over 29 venues from 19th September – 2nd November 2018 is generously supported by The Arts Council. 9 days of performances are generously supported by the Katharine Howard Foundation and staged in a range of different community settings in partnership with the Health Service Executive, Public Libraries and community and voluntary sector agencies.
I AM BABA was an Early Childhood Arts Commission funded by Fingal, South Dublin, Dublin City and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Councils via the Arts Council of Ireland’s Invitation to Collaboration Scheme which supports innovative and ambitious local authority collaborations.
If you are interested in a Baby Massage course for you and your baby then we have one coming up soon.
Here are all the details you need to know. Location of the course is dependent on participants.
1 class per week for 5 weeks (1.5 hour classes)
For more information contact Laura Sherry at The Genesis Programme
T: 041 – 984 3333
Teacher and other school personnel training in the KiVa Anti Bullying Programme has commenced.
Before the children even returned to school, almost 140 school personnel from 5 primary schools had completed the KiVa Anti Bullying Programme training.
Staff from Latnamard NS, Scoil Mhuire Latton and St Tiarnach’s NS Clones (all Monaghan) and St. Joseph’s NS Muirhevnamor and Redeemer BNS (both Louth) attended the first training days of the programme in Ireland during the week of the 27th August and the feedback has been brilliant.
St. John’s JNS and Marymount NS in Drogheda as well as St. Daigh’s NS in Inishkeen will undertake their training over the next few weeks.
All of these schools will be implementing KiVa during this academic year.
In May of this year, The Genesis Programme launched the Linking the Learning guide. You can access the document here Linking the Learning
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 latest edition of The Genesis Programme’s online newsletter UPDATE is now available.
Click on this link to view UPDATE – Edition #7 – Summer 2018
The Genesis Programme are recruiting an Administrative Assistant.
Closing date for applications is Wednesday 18th July 2018 at 5pm.
Full details on the position and the Application Form are available here Administrative Assistant, The Genesis Programme
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!
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