The Impact of Aspire2 in 2022
A look back at the impact of our work in 2022.
The Impact of Aspire2 in 2022
Aspire2 was set up by DPS in 2015 to support students in DEIS schools to get the best Leaving Cert possible and increase their chances of progression to third level, further education and apprenticeships. Since then the programme has gone from
strength to strength expanding incrementally and to date the DPS mentors have supported over 3,500 students.
Here's some of the impact of our work in 2022:
- 46% increase in the number of students progressing to Third Level in Aspire2 Schools
- 35% increase in the number of students progressing to apprenticeships
Student Activity
After a busy summer engaging with our Youth Advisory panels for fun team-building activities, including an overnight in Glendalough, we embarked on our mentor recruitment, reconnecting and training. We were delighted to welcome onboard all our fantastic Mentors who give so much to our students.The new school term also got off to a great start with a burst of energy!
Since September we have worked with our 10 schools, 20 mentoring groups, 10 Youth Advisory Panels (YAP), over 70 amazing mentors and our equally amazing Alumni group. Here is a snapshot of some the areas we’ve been very busy with:
Aspire2 Advisory Panels and Alumni Group in 2022
The students on our Youth Advisory Panels (YAP) across our 10 participating schools in Dublin and Cork have met regularly to discuss Aspire2 supports in their schools.
During the mid-term break our Cork YAP groups had the opportunity to visit University College Cork (UCC) and our Dublin YAP visited Trinity College Dublin (TCD). Both groups had a fantastic visit of the campus and engaged in leadership skills training.
The students did a great job representing their peers and ensuring their educational needs are being heard, exchanging new thoughts and ideas for their individual schools.
Our Alumni group support all our YAP activities mentioned and developed a set of recommendations to improve YAP experiences in their schools. They also continue to be busy delivering AwZoom grinds.
5th and 6th Year students across all our schools are delivering various subjects to support all students working towards their Leaving Cert.
Aspire2 Mentoring in 2022
Our Mentors have also been busy with 40 sessions of mentoring taking place in the schools and DPS offices over the last few months. Sessions ranged from:
- Team building activities,
- Exploring mindsets,
- Exploring challenges and problem solving
- Exploring career options, CAO, access and apprenticeships.
Our mentors shared their experiences and are truly inspiring people which impacts the students and motivates them to believe in their dreams. If you are interested in getting involved or learning more about the programme link with us on workvivo, check out our promotional video and contact our Aspire2 Project Manager, Janice McGarry.
For more information contact our Aspire2 Project Manager, Janice or our Student Support Worker, Breda.
© Aspire2 Ltd 2023. Created by Brian Desmond