| Summer Projects -a brief outline |
 |
 |
 |
|
Summer Projects began in 1973 in the Liberties area of Dublin. About 200 children and young people took part in that first project. In the following year, a number of communities throughout Dublin followed the Liberties idea and summer projects took off! Catholic Youth Care was there at the beginning, providing support, help and advice to local committees in the planning and organising of their project. For many communities and areas in Dublin, the summer project is synonymous with summer itself – you can’t have one without the other. Now in 2008, the summer project idea is as strong as ever. This year, throughout the Dublin Diocese [Dublin City and County, Co Wicklow and North Kildare], there will be some 125 summer projects organised. 79 projects will be organised in the Dublin city area. Most will take place during July and early August and some 15,000 children and young people will take part in a range of activities that have been expertly put together by about 5000 volunteers.
A summer project is a programme of recreational and educational activities for children and young people that takes place in the summer months. In the main, the project is organised by adults from the local community, who come together to plan, organise and run the activities. A management committee would be set up to do the planning and organising of the project. Projects can also be organised directly by youth service staff, where there is no voluntary input, but it is preferable to have projects organised by the local community. The role of the youth service is to support, help and advise the local summer project committee. The support, both financial and practical, of Local Authorities and other youth service providers is also invaluable.
In the past, most projects would have been organised on a parish basis, but now, while there are still many parish based projects, most would tend to be organised on a smaller basis. As well as the usual recreational type events, most projects would now have a strong educational content with youth drama, youth arts, astronomy, ecology projects, adventure sports etc.
Catholic Youth Care provides projects with advice, support, training and other services.
CYC staff, at both HQ and regional level meet regularly with project committees to give on - going advice and support. Information is provided through regular meetings. Staff would visit each project a number of times during the organisation and planning of the project. The staff also provide a range of training courses including:
child protection training,
training courses on how to organise and run a project,
courses on working as a team or on a committee,
Anti - bullying training
Training on the role of the coordinator,
Practical skills workshops in arts & crafts, dance, fun & games, Adventure sports activities are also organised by CYC.
What are the benefits? Being involved in a summer project has many benefits for the young people, the adult leaders and the community. Apart from the obvious benefit of having something to do during the summer, the project brings together children and adult from the same community in a common enterprise that has positive benefit for the community. For communities involved, organising a project can bring positive effects to the community’s relationship with its own young people. This bringing together of the community is especially important in new or developing areas. In an era of increasing individualisation this community aspect of projects is essential.
Summer projects are also a very positive introduction to youth work for all involved and as such are a very positive introduction to the benefits of youth work for young people. It is often easier to attract young people to other youth work activities and projects if they have already had a positive experience of youth work through being involved in a summer projects. Summer projects tick all the positive boxes in youth work.
|
