Community Links Programme - creating opportunity for all

Lecturers: Victor Hyrmak

Students on the Masters in Environmental Health and Safety have the option of carrying out a community-based research thesis project.

In these projects the students work collaboratively with a community partner on a real need that comes from that partner. Students and community partners work out collaboratively what needs researching and the student carries out the necessary work, feeding the results back to the community partner in a form that is most useable to the partner. In 2010, one student carried out her thesis on College Awareness of Road Safety, examining aspects of driver behaviour. Another student worked on a risk management assessment for local community partner and made recommendations for change on a shoestring budget. In this instance risk management is defined as 'any area involved with health and safety, fire safety, food safety or environmental management

What do the students get from it?

This is an invaluable opportunity for a Masters level student to work on a real project as part of their research thesis, for the community sector. The students also have an opportunity to practice their communication and planning and time management skills to deliver the results in an expected time frame.

What does the community get from it?

The community benefit from access to the research expertise of DIT Environmental Health and Safety students and from the tangible end product that the research produces.

Community Partners: 

Garda Road Safety Unit

Soilse