Tackling Education Disadvantage with Tech

Two established charitable organisations: Camara Education Ireland and the Irish programmes of Suas Education are merging into one, in a rare united venture for the charitable sector.

They are bringing their considerable experience in developing innovations in education in the fields of digital skills, literacy and educational technology to scale positive impact for young people across Ireland.

The exciting merger that also incorporates TechSpace will see three strong brands unite under the name Kinia, in order to strengthen their programmes and services as an effective destination for educators, young people and stakeholders who are invested in diversity and inclusion as a key pillar for sustainable development.

At least 25 per cent of the Irish population is excluded from an increasingly digital society because of socio-economic reasons. Kinia partners with numerous statutory and corporate and industry bodies including Google, ESB, Sonalake, Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media and Science Foundation Ireland.

“Disruption in education over the last 18 months has highlighted how a gap in resources, connectedness and future-skills development opportunities can limit progression for many young people. As a result, we risk losing the range of talent and energy that is ready to burst out of communities across the country. New careers, new technology and new ways of working are highlighting a new divide and aspiration gap. 62% of teachers and youth workers we surveyed cited the inequalities between young people as troubling and frustrating”, said Marianne Checkley, CEO of Kinia

“It’s been really hard for schools and youth services to keep young people engaged and connected in learning over the last year. Because of our experience, we were able to break down barriers to using technology creatively and Teachers and Youth Workers really appreciate the support we provided. They’re really motivated now to build a community that shares resources and ideas on how to make sure we don’t leave any students behind and digital skills are key to this approach” said Seamus Ó’Fatharta, from Kinia.

To date, Kinia have engaged 16,170 educators, 6,000 volunteers and worked with 4,050 schools and youth centres.

The guiding principle of Kinia is “Learning is Life”, stressing the importance of education access throughout student’s lives, and showing how the lives of students change when their aspirations for future learning paths and careers are limited by lack of access to relevant learning opportunities.

“It’s commendable to see organisations in the charity sector come together to maximise their impact. Kinia is shining a light on how all of society is a stakeholder in delivering the best education for young people and the many ways we can all contribute to building creative, and sustainable learning environments for brighter futures ahead,” said Minister Catherine Martin, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media

“ESB is committed to leading the transition to a low carbon future, powered by clean electricity. By supporting programmes like TechSpace, that encourage curiosity and discovery, we can help ensure young people develop key skills, like creativity and critical thinking, that will help them not only to become creative and innovative problem solvers in the future, but also active and engaged citizens, capable of making informed choices to tackle climate change and other global challenges.

Over the past seven years, our support has helped Camara Ireland grow and scale TechSpace, bringing creative technology professional development to over 900 educators, and positively impacting the lives of 10,000 young people across the country. We look forward to continuing our partnership into the future with the Kinia team” said Bevin Cody, ESB Corporate Reputation Manager