Community Links Programme - creating opportunity for all

Welcome to Students Learning With Communities.

The DIT Programme for Students Learning With Communities supports staff and students engaging in community-based learning and research (also known as service-learning), and builds links with communities.

Students Learning With Communities involves DIT staff and/or students working with community partners (local groups, not-for-profit organisations, etc) to develop real-life projects. Learning comes alive for the students as they work on these projects with real clients, applying their specialist subject skills, and receiving course credits for their work. The community becomes part of the teaching process and benefits from the students’ work. These projects give all participants the opportunity to engage in critical thinking and to develop their social awareness. The Programme for Students Learning With Communities ultimately aims to energise participants to work for social change.

Our Vision:

To be a vibrant, professional hub connecting DIT students and staff to local, national and international communities, by linking learning with real life application, for mutual benefit.

Our Mission:

• To encourage, support and develop the practice of community-based learning and community-based research within programmes across DIT.
• To produce socially conscious graduates with applied and transferable professional skills.
• To build sustainable relationships with community and voluntary organisations.
• To create appropriate links with industry in support of community-based learning and community-based research.
• To collaborate with national and international educational institutions to advance best practice in the area.

The Taoiseach's Public Service Excellence Awards 2010:

The Programme for Students Learning With Communities was recently shortlisted for the Taoiseach's Public Service Excellence Awards 2010.  These awards are designed to showcase and celebrate public service projects that make a particular difference to the way citizens can avail of services. The Awards promote innovation and excellence, the creative use of resources and the development of new efficiencies. We were delighted to be shortlisted.