An initiative aimed at promoting youth wellbeing, strengthening safeguarding awareness, and preventing violence against young women and girls has been launched in Tralee.
Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley officially launched the initiative at Munster Technological University Kerry.
The CARE Initiative, which stands for Communication, Awareness, Respect and Empathy, was developed through collaboration between students, educators, community practitioners, and local organisations committed to creating safer communities.
The CARE Programme was designed by Social Care students at MTU led by Christina Fitzgerald and has been developed as an early intervention educational programme for delivery in schools, workplaces, youth services, and community resource centres.
The programme aims to equip participants with the skills to communicate effectively, build respectful relationships, recognise harmful behaviours, respond appropriately to concerns, and become active bystanders in promoting safer communities.
The Safe Space Initiative for Young Girls was developed in response to findings from a student-led survey conducted by students of Mercy Mounthawk Secondary School, Tralee exploring how safe young people feel in their schools and communities.
Expressions of interest are now being invited from schools, workplaces and community organisations wishing to participate in the pilot phase of the programmes, with plans to expand delivery across Kerry and potentially nationally in the future.
