Monday, October 3rd 2011:
President of Ireland Mary McAleese today launched
Frontrunner and Pitstops, two
innovative active citizen programmes for third level students run
by Common Purpose at DIT's Grangegorman Campus.
President McAleese stressed the value of these innovative
programmes,
"I would like to thank and congratulate Common Purpose Ireland
on the launch of these valuable programmes which seek out
leadership potential and enable it to develop. Each participant in
the programmes, by broadening their own insight and understanding
of the mechanics of leadership, will become stronger and fitter for
the difficult and sometimes lonely journey that leadership demands.
The investment in each participant is an investment in community,
society and country for these are the fields that are ploughed and
planted by leaders and these are where the harvest of good is
reaped".
Common Purpose, an educational, not-for-profit organisation that
brings together people from a wide range of backgrounds to help
them become more effective leaders in society, has been running and
growing in Ireland since 1996. Over this time, thousands of
participants and engaged leaders have connected, inspired and
sustained one another through its programmes. Although majoring in
adult programmes, Common Purpose broadened its offering three years
ago with the development of the Your Turn
programme for teenagers. Your Turn has been
successfully running in Dublin, Cork and Limerick since then and
this success had a significant impact on the organisation's
decision to develop third level programmes.
Frontrunner is a four-day residential programme
aimed at third level students in Ireland who have already shown
evidence of leadership skills in civil society through their
activities. A Pitstop occurs over two days
and is opportunity to challenge perceptions of leadership and
change, as well as an opportunity to reflect on one's own role as a
leader
The launch event brought together students who have done the
Your Turn programme from Dublin, Cork, Limerick
and Kerry, as well as representatives from DIT, LIT, Cork College
of Commerce, UCC, UCD, Trinity College, CIT, NUI Maynooth, UL and
the Royal College of Surgeons. Programme sponsors from HSBC,
Veolia, the Vodafone Foundation and IRD Duhallow were also
acknowledged and thanked.
Jackie Butler, Common Purpose Ireland CEO, said, "The Your Turn
programme, coupled with the new Frontrunner programme and Pitstops
symbolise a new beginning for Common Purpose. The fact that we can
now engage teenagers and young adults, whilst also working with
emerging leaders on our Navigator programme and established leaders
on the Focus and Meridian programmes, presents a new life-long
learning path for leaders in Ireland".
Follow this link for a full copy of President McAleese's Speech:
http://www.president.ie/index.php?section=5&speech=1017&lang=eng
