World Refugee Day is celebrated throughout the world on 20th June of every year. This year’s event falls on Saturday 20th June, we at the Information and Support
Unit for New Communities hosted an event on Wednesday 17th June to mark the occasion...
Remember the many challenges you faced as a teenager? Parents, puberty, peers and the list goes on. Imagine if you added to that list moving to a country where you didn’t speak the language or understand the culture.There are many second-level students in Waterford today who find themselves in this situation. Whether they have arrived as refugees or with their parents for work, life is not always easy for them as they try to adjust to a new culture and the challenges of education in a foreign language. This situation also provides a huge challenge to teachers, with class sizes growing and the additional needs of these students, particularly when it comes to learning the specific vocabulary of individual subjects. The English Enhancement Project, supported by the Information and Support Unit for New Communities at the ERIHC Mt Sion, began in October 2008 as an attempt to meet some of the needs of these second-level students. Every Monday and Thursday after school a group of (12) Mt Sion and Waterpark secondary students, all born outside of Ireland, were assisted with reading, grammar, comprehension, homework and computer skills.
The Intercultural Soccer tournament for the for the Rice Cup took place in Mount Sion GAA Grounds in Waterford on the 29th of March 2009. This tournament was part of the Edmund Rice Awards. 2 students Lee Nugent and Ben Duggan undertook this project . This Tournament was about bringing together different nationalities through Sport. Through the Edmund Rice Awards students come to realise that Edmund Rice’s life included a Spirit-inspiried move to change the very structures of his society. To be included for an Edmund Rice Award students must engage in social justice activity within their local community and spend time reflecting on this activity.
By David Mc Donnell,
Munster Express Friday 23rd May 2008
A youth strategy for minority youths living in Waterford was officially launched by the City Mayor, Cllr Mary O’Halloran at Mount Sion last Friday. The strategic approach was put together by the Information and Support Unit (ISU) and Waterford Youth Arts. Both groups conducted consultation sessions with 97 teenagers to identify many of the difficulties facing teenagers of non nationals living in Waterford and they incorporated many of the solutions that were brought up be the teenagers to help them better integrate with Irish teenagers and the local community.
The Information and Support Unit for New Communities hosted a Family Fun Day which was well attended by the Local Community and members of the New Communities (over 150 adults and children). The event took place in the Mount Sion School Hall in Barrack Street on Wednesday 9th of July 2008. This cultural event had its primary focus on children but also giving families living in direct provision centres the opportunity to come out and socialise with the local community through play, sports, music and dance.
All of the children enjoyed their activities while their parents watched them and chatted with other parents. Some grandparents from the Inner City came along with their grand children to take part in the Family Fun Day and they expressed their appreciation to the ISU for hosting such a Community Event that has a focus on families particularly children.
This Art Project which forms part of One World Week was developed by the Teenage Integration Programme which is part of the Information and Support Unit for New Communities based at Mount Sion.
The programme involved the production of a single piece of Art Work documenting the journey of young people from their home country to Ireland, highlighting the infringements of their Human Rights that they encountered on the way. The theme for the art piece was “Where are my Human Rights – the Search”.
World Refugee Day 2009
A youth strategy for minority youths living in Waterford was officially launched by the City Mayor, Cllr Mary O’Halloran at Mount Sion last Friday. The strategic approach was put together by the Information and Support Unit (ISU) and Waterford Youth Arts. Both groups conducted consultation sessions with 97 teenagers to identify many of the difficulties facing teenagers of non nationals living in Waterford and they incorporated many of the solutions that were brought up be the teenagers to help them better integrate with Irish teenagers and the local community. 
The Information and Support Unit for New Communities hosted a Family Fun Day which was well attended by the Local Community and members of the New Communities (over 150 adults and children). The event took place in the Mount Sion School Hall in Barrack Street on Wednesday 9th of July 2008. This cultural event had its primary focus on children but also giving families living in direct provision centres the opportunity to come out and socialise with the local community through play, sports, music and dance.