Donegal Education and Training Board’s schools are state, co-educational and multi-denominational, underpinned by the core values of excellence in education, care, equality, community and respect. Our schools live this ethos in many different ways, one of which is an Ethos Ambassador Programme. In this blog, our St Catherine’s Vocational School teacher Megan Quinn explains how this programme operates in their school.
As part of our school’s ongoing commitment to the ETB’s Ethos framework, we at St. Catherine’s Vocational School launched our Ethos Ambassador programme to empower students to actively promote the core values that define our school community in 2023. The idea began with Transition Year (TY) workshops, where students showed remarkable enthusiasm and passion for these values. It became clear that by giving students leadership roles, we could inspire the entire student body to embrace and live out our ethos. The ambassadors not only represent the voice of the students but also model the school’s values, strengthen our community, and build their own leadership skills.
The programme started by selecting a group of motivated TY students who had demonstrated their commitment to our school’s ethos. Initially, we engaged the whole TY group, focusing on the key values of respect, equality and community that guide us at St. Catherine’s. Their excitement and creativity encouraged us to continue the programme and extend it as they moved into senior roles. As these students progress through the school, they offer guidance to the younger years, creating a collaborative space where students can lead and plan initiatives that resonate with their peers.
From a teacher’s perspective, the Ethos Ambassador programme has been transformative. At St. Catherine’s, we’ve seen first-hand how much students learn from one another. By empowering a select group of student leaders, we’ve been able to engage the wider school body in a meaningful way. Teachers provide guidance and support, but the ambassadors are the ones taking the lead, tailoring activities and events to fit student interests in ways that we, as teachers, might not be able to. This has fostered a stronger sense of community as students feel more motivated to promote the values they’ve taken ownership of.
The Ethos Ambassador programme has offered invaluable personal growth for the students involved. One of our ambassadors shared, “Being an ambassador gave me a voice for the other
students, and the chance to organise events that brought us together.” Many have noted that they’ve improved their communication, leadership, and teamwork skills. For instance, working with first-year students in our daily Games Room has helped them develop patience and responsibility. Events like “Culture Day” have allowed our ambassadors to celebrate the diversity of our school and promote our core values, creating a more positive atmosphere within the school.
Of course, there were challenges. Balancing academic pressures and managing younger students’ respect were common difficulties, but through teamwork and support from teachers, they overcame these obstacles. As one student reflected, “At first, it was tough to get the younger year groups to listen, but with help from the teachers and more practice, it got much easier.”
For other schools considering a similar programme, our ambassadors at St. Catherine’s have shared a few key recommendations:
- Selecting the right students is crucial. “Pick ambassadors that reflect the school’s values and can work well in a team,” one student advised.
- It’s essential to keep strong communication between ambassadors and staff to avoid organisational issues.
- Involving TY students in the planning process can be helpful, as they have more time, while senior students provide oversight and guidance.
Overall, the Ethos Ambassador programme at St. Catherine’s has had a profound impact. It gives our students the chance to lead, learn, and make a real difference in school life while reinforcing the core values central to our ethos. As one ambassador said, “It allows us to create positive change in the school and develop skills that will help us throughout life.”
We strongly encourage other schools to consider adopting similar initiatives to empower their students and enrich their school communities through the lens of the ETB ethos.