While classes for both Shaping Futures and Building Futures are winding down, they have been busier than ever. Between trips to Chester Beatty Library for their Understanding Interculturalism module, Myra’s Story in the Gaiety Theatre, creating a spray paint mural for their Community Arts module, securing their work experience, and some taking up the opportunity to get their Level 6 Train the Trainer, the learners still found time in their day to attend the INOU’s Annual Delegate Conference in May 2025.
Myra’s Story
On May 8th, both Shaping Futures and Building Futures attended Myra’s Story in the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin City Centre. This was a great experience for all, as many had never been to the Gaiety before, or had not been in some years. This trip is related to Building Futures’ Understanding Community Development module and Shaping Futures’ Understanding Interculturalism module, both of which cover topics such as marginalisation and discrimination. Myra’s Story was a great opportunity to gain an insight into the day in the life of a person who has experienced both in Dublin City Centre.
Chester Beatty Library
Shaping Futures was then off for another trip to the Chester Beatty Library on the 22nd of May. The Chester Beatty lives in the beautifully curated grounds of Dublin Castle, in the heart of Dublin City. Learners were immersed in intercultural education by exploring manuscripts, books, paintings, and decorative arts from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. This trip was organised as a part of their Understander Interculturalism module for semester two. The trip was polished off with a picnic in the library’s tranquil gardens, where learners shared what they discovered and their favourite points of interest, this was then included in their assignments the following week.
Community Arts Mural
As part of the Community Arts module, Building Futures participated in an Urban Arts Workshop. Over previous years this has consisted of the learners learning how to use spray paints to create a piece using stencils, this year we decided to do something different and the idea of a mural at the back of the building was agreed upon.
The workshop ran over two days, on the first day the wall was painted black and Hernan, the instructor, taught the learners how to use the spray paints on this blank canvas. They also cut out stencils to use in the design of the mural. Everyone really enjoyed the process and learning how to get everything prepared to start the mural the following day.
The second day was when the learners actually began working on the mural. Everything was ready, which included the stencils and the colours being used, so the learners could just start and put their ideas into practice.
The learners were split into two groups. The first group who were working on the mural in the morning, did the background and the second group in the afternoon used the stencils to add different words and patterns over the background.
Everyone fully participated and thoroughly enjoyed the workshop and the sense of pride they all felt with the finished product was amazing to see !!!!
Hugh Lane Gallery
Another part of the Community Arts module was a trip to The Hugh Lane Gallery where the Building Futures’ Learners had a guided tour of the different exhibitions. The Learners were given access to the cameras held in the Learning Hub and were given a class on how to use these cameras. They put what they had learned into practice by taking photos in the Gallery and in the Garden of Remembrance. They really enjoyed the experience !!
Building Futures Learner Experience
Richie McDonnell
My time on the INOU's Building Futures Programme has been truly transformative, providing a strong foundation for my personal, educational and professional future. The programme's holistic approach, combining practical skill development with invaluable one-on-one support, created an incredibly nurturing environment that genuinely empowered me. I engaged in a diverse range of activities that sharpened my communication and teamwork skills, developed essential IT skills, enhanced my CV writing abilities and gained invaluable insights and knowledge relating to all the varied components of community development.
The personal growth I have experienced is profound. The supportive atmosphere significantly boosted my confidence and self-esteem and helped me understand my strengths at a time when I was at my lowest. I have been able to clarify my career and educational goals, and a strong sense of renewed motivation has emerged. My experiences here have shown me that my aspirations are within my reach and the sense of connection I have built with my peers has meant a great deal to me.
Professionally and educationally, this programme opened doors for me that I thought were closed for good. Clear guidance on training courses and further education has equipped me with the knowledge to make informed decisions about my ongoing development. I now feel significantly more prepared to navigate the job market and embrace continuous learning. The facilitators' unwavering dedication, expertise and support were exceptional and created an inclusive, positive and encouraging learning environment. Peer support fostered camaraderie, mutual encouragement and friendship.
Looking to the future, my outlook is notably different. I feel empowered, optimistic, and equipped with robust skills and a clear vision. The INOU's Building Futures Programme has given me the tools, confidence, and direction to rebuild my life and reach my potential. I am incredibly grateful for this invaluable opportunity.
Shaping Futures Learner Experience
Solveiga Gintalaite
I started this course with a sense of hopelessness from a lack of skills, direction, aimlessness and vicious anxiety after having finished the leaving cert in 2020. After dropping out of my first year of college, bouncing job to job & later a year of unemployment, I had been notified by Intreo of the opportunity to partake in this course. I took this up not knowing what I’d be in for, but to try it anyway to get away from my usual daily routine.
I had never expected to have gotten the spectacular amount of direction, support and guidance from this course. I have been given the opportunity of finding my motivations & passions, strengths, and meeting an amazing group of people that I am honoured to have spent such valuable time with and have helped me develop as a person with passions I had struggled so much to find in the past.
With the carefully structured two semesters, not only had I in the first semester found a way to slowly ease into a productive, self-caring routine, identifying my strengths & challenges, and my future plans, but also a way to put a plan together for myself to get to those goals I had only so recently identified for the first time since 2020. It was eye-opening to look back on the year and seeing how much I had progressed.
In only a year, I had regained a passion for life, education, & helping myself & others. Although most of that work came from taking the coursework to heart, when put to action, it had practically fallen in place like how the semesters did. By the end, I had unforgettable memories & a longing for a tight-knit community like the one I had gained in the INOU.