22 May 2026
The PEACEPLUS ASPIRE partnership between Ballymore National School (Church of Ireland school), Scoil Cholmcille Maigh Rua (Catholic school) and Scoil Eoin Pól (Catholic Gaeltacht school) aims to promote understanding, inclusion and shared learning. Building on the previous year’s theme, Exploring Our Communities, this year's project enabled all pupils in each school to deepen their knowledge of their own local areas while learning about the experiences of others.
From exploring local heritage to publishing their own books, discover how this partnership has fostered pride, understanding and meaningful connections across communities!
A key element of the project was the opportunity for meaningful cross-community engagement. Through activities such as site visits, guided tours, guest speakers, and creative writing, pupils developed a rich understanding of what makes their communities unique. Throughout the year, pupils shared their progress and learning journeys with each other. This sharing was done through in person shared learning days, online ‘meet-ups’ and through ongoing communication between the teachers delivering the project. Each school documented and compiled their findings, resulting in the publication of a book that captured their learning and experience. These publications were launched at the Regional Cultural Centre in Letterkenny on 21 May. During this event, they presented their work, shared their learning with one another and exchanged books. This event allowed each school group to learn from each other and to gain insight into what experiences have shaped the identities of each participating school community.
This partnership aimed to foster peace and reconciliation by encouraging dialogue, respect, and collaboration among pupils from all three partnership schools. It supported the development of a sense of belonging - both within individual communities and across a wider, shared society. By working together and sharing their stories, pupils were able to build connections and recognise commonalities. By embedding the aims of PEACEPLUS ASPIRE throughout their activities, this partnership also strengthened community connections by building relationships with local heritage sites, community organisations and schools, while engaging families, local historians and Gaeltacht communities. Through activities such as the book launch and exploration of local landmarks, the partnership fostered a stronger sense of local pride and greater community awareness and mutual understanding.
Through their involvement in PEACEPLUS ASPIRE, pupils developed a wide range of personal and social skills, including empathy, communication, teamwork, confidence, critical thinking and a stronger sense of belonging, while fostering inclusive relationships and shared understanding. The project also strengthened staff collaboration through joint planning, peer learning, resource sharing, cross-school engagement and regular reflective practice, creating lasting professional connections across schools.
Speaking on their experience of PEACEPLUS ASPIRE and exploring their local area, one pupil commented:
Learning about the local areas has made me feel proud of where I live.
Building on the success of this year’s partnership, the next phase will deepen pupils’ engagement with their communities through a structured oral history initiative. Pupils across the three schools will design and conduct interviews with local community members, including residents, leaders, business owners and representatives of local organisations. Through this process, children will capture first-hand accounts of community life, changes over time and shared experiences across diverse backgrounds.
This approach builds on the previous focus on Exploring Our Communities by moving beyond researching places to actively engaging with the people who shape them. It will further enhance pupils’ understanding of their local areas and strengthen their sense of belonging. Opportunities for cross-school collaboration will be embedded throughout, enabling pupils to share their findings and reflect on similarities and differences across communities. In addition, the initiative will contribute to preserving valuable community stories for future generations.
PEACEPLUS ASPIRE (Advancing Shared Partnerships through Inclusive Relationships in Education) is a collaboration between Léargas, the Education Authority (lead partner), Early Years- the organisation for young children, National Childhood Network (NCN) and the Fermanagh Trust. The project is supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). It aims to provide direct and sustained contact between children and young people from all backgrounds.
To learn more about PEACEPLUS ASPIRE, check out our website here.