DCU in the Community Shangan Road Centre, Ballymun - Model of transformational education for civic engagement and community development
Jean Berry (Dublin City University)
Abstract
DCU in the Community is the outreach centre for Dublin City University (DCU). Set in Ballymun, in North Dublin, it is an area of socio-economic disadvantage, with less than 2% of the population reaching third-level education. This presentation reviews the mission and goals of DCU in the Community, referring both to its role in the Civic Engagement Strategy of DCU and as a model of Transformational Education linking community with the university.
From my experience in the Cooperative Extension Services (CES), landgrant University system in the US, I will explore the model of transformational education developed by Wisconsin CES as a tool for tackling the community issues in Ballymun and North County Dublin. The power of this model lies in the partnerships and collaboration between the University and the Community at all levels. Transformational education recognizes the importance of building trusting relationships with partners (Ayers, 2006; Covey, 1989), bringing scholarship that draws upon both university and local knowledge and expertise to public issues (Peters, Jordan, Adamek, & Alter, 2005), and building the capacity of individuals to engage in problem solving or taking actions with the "creative implementation of a purpose" (Mezirow, 1991).
The outreach work of DCU in the Community for faculty, staff, students and local community residents allows for the development of the scholarship of discovery, integration and application of knowledge – all built on relationships. Transformational education involves engaging a broad-based "community of interest" working on the issue through trust-based relationships, with the goal of developing a group vision and plan for addressing the local issues, whether it is back to education programmes, leadership development or capacity building. Research, trial and error of program initiatives, examining results and developing new questions to be answered, are an integral part of this process.
