DCU in the Community header
DCU in the Community
An image of the President's Award for Engagement winners in front of a DCU branded backdrop

President’s Awards for Engagement

The President’s Award for Engagement honours DCU staff and students who make meaningful contributions to communities through impactful projects.

The President’s Award for Engagement celebrates the impact of the engagement of DCU staff and students with the life of the wider community. 

There are two awards, one in the staff category and one in the student category. In addition, two Special Merit Awards are presented. 

Members of the general public can submit nominations for staff or students who they believe deserve such recognition. The winners are selected by an awards committee and announced by the DCU President at an annual awards ceremony. 

Engagement Award Case Studies

Staff and students who have received this award in the past have initiated a wide range of activities but all share a commitment to engaging with communities to make a positive difference. 

  • Refugee Integration: Dr Agnès Maillot (School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies) was recognised for her work with the Irish Refugee Integration Network (IRIN). IRIN is a collective of DCU academics, students and members of the public who run English language classes, digital literacy clinics and community meetings for International Protection Applicants and refugees. 

     

  • Tackling Gender-Based Violence: Carine Mambou received an award in the student category for her work with the CAD AID Foundation, which aims to address the issue of sexual gender-based violence, gender equality and women empowerment through an integrated approach. The project also seeks to create awareness about the prevalence of gender-based violence and its consequences. 

     

  • Teacher Development in Tanzania: DCU’s Tanzania Pre-Primary Education team (Fiona Giblin, Dr Catherine Mulryan-Kyne and Professor Bernard Pierce) were awarded for providing professional development for 18 teachers in seven primary schools in the country. The project led to the creation of a volunteering programme for student teachers from the DCU Institute of Education, focusing on early childhood education in Tanzania.

     

  • Empowering Homeless People: Student Austin Campbell founded My Streets, a social enterprise that enrolled homeless trainees on a three-month training programme based on storytelling, creative writing and tour-guiding skills. My Streets offers all graduates employment opportunities as a tour guide based on their own experience of place thereby also offering tourists a unique tourism experience.

     

Visit the President’s Awards for Engagement Archive for more information.