On Friday 11th May 2012, Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny launched the generations@school project at St. Joseph’s Secondary School in Charlestown, County Mayo, with the participants of the Living Scenes programme there.

The Living Scenes intergenerational learning programme at NUI Galway has been selected to represent Ireland in a European Commission Intergenerational Competition. The generations@school Project is organised by the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations and is about engaging pupils and seniors in intergenerational dialogue.

St. Joseph’s is one of the seven schools representing Ireland in this European event and has been participating in NUI Galway’s Living Scenes programme for the last seven years. The Taoiseach was impressed with the whole concept of intergenerational learning and lauded all involved in this programme, commenting:

“This course is a wonderful example of linking community and school, and of connecting modern Ireland with its past, building respect between our school-going students and our older generation. This is a prime example of the potential of a community to work together in a school setting to promote civic engagement and responsibility. Congratulations to all concerned.”

The Taoiseach was accompanied by Mayo deputy John O’Mahony, who is an ardent supporter of the Living Scenes programme. Deputy O’Mahony observed that “this programme promotes a new way of learning, there is so much our different generations can learn from each other and in so doing can create a society that benefits all.”

The seven schools currently participating in NUI Galway’s Living Scenes programme are: Presentation Secondary School, Galway city; Calasanctius College, Oranmore, Co. Galway; Galway Community College, Galway city; St. Joseph’s Secondary School, Charlestown, Co. Mayo; St. Flannan’s College, Ennis, Co. Clare; St. Joseph’s Secondary School, Tulla, Co. Clare; Millstreet Community School, Millstreet, Co. Cork