Solas Project
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Mission Statement
Our Vision Solas Project's vision is to see an Ireland where all children and young people truly know their self-worth and can take full advantage of their potential.
About This Cause
Our Mission To make our vision a reality, Solas Project provides a range of innovative interventions. We place high value on self-worth, character and motivation, working to address the socio-economic and educational imbalances faced by so many in Ireland today. Our programmes equip and empower children to live full lives and become positive participants in society. Through learning and mentoring, as well as personal and social development, we support young people to create a brighter future for themselves and their communities. Solas Project treats every person with compassion, dignity and respect, to seek out the goodness in them and through that empower them to discover their own abilities and self-worth. We prioritise building relationships with individuals in order to seek the well-being of the community as a whole. What we do To achieve our vision we run 5 programmes. 4 of these are based in Dublin’s Inner City and our Prison programme is Dublin wide. Our programmes incorporate a mixture of targeted interventions and community wide activities. We work very closely with 12 local primary schools and 3 secondary schools by running school based programmes and also after school support. We currently have 11 full time and 2 part time staff as well as 9 long term interns and over 80 volunteers involved on a weekly basis. Targeted interventions The Club Our Primary After School Programme has been running since 2007 and was born out of a desire to provide a safe home-like environment after school each day for children living in challenging circumstances. This programme now runs in three locations with 44 children attending daily. The three clubs we now run are: Junior after-school aged 6-8, Senior after-school club aged 8-10 and our Transition after school club aged 11-12 specifically targeting 6th class students. The programme is a holistic intervention that strives to be ‘a home away from home’, for children. Each day includes having a meal together, homework support, and doing a fun activity together. The Yard Youth development The vision of the Yard is to equip young people with skills and knowledge that will empower and enable them to fulfil their personal potential. To achieve this vision we currently run three activities including Bike Repairs and Woodwork with Toy Assembly. The Yard is divided into two broad areas of support: 1. Community Programmes – including Solas@School Supporting local community groups & schools providing 6 week wood work & bicycle maintenance mentoring programmes 2. Targeted focused programmes – The Crew A 16 week work preparation course for young people aged 16- 24 who are currently not in employment, education or training. It focuses on developing personal, practical and business skills to support young people into employment or further education. Step Up (Secondary School Mentoring) Step Up is a one-to-one mentoring club for young people transitioning from primary to secondary school. Each young person is assigned their own volunteer mentor who they work with one to one for one hour a week. There are currently 48 young people and 48 mentors involved in Step Up. Step Up is based on the belief that in order to tackle educational disadvantage young people need not only academic support but support in their personal development, including a focus on their self-worth and confidence in their own abilities. Compass Prison Programme The vision of this programme is to ‘love every young prisoner in Ireland away from re-offending and towards a new life’. We provide a seamless, structured post release programme delivering emotional support and practical assistance for youth offenders. Compass starts by providing meaningful activities for inmates such as tag-rugby, electronic music production and aquaponics. On release from prison the participant will link in with a mentor in the community and follow steps agreed in the participant's post release care plan. Solas @ School We are passionate about helping young people make a successful transition from primary to secondary school and ensuring them remain engaged with their education. To do this we run 3 programmes under Solas@School all with the aim of promoting self-worth, character & motivation which we are believe are key for a young person to not only get but hold an opportunity and take advantage of their potential. Solas College Solas College is our College Awareness programme that introduces 6th class children to the idea of attending third level education. It aims to break down preconceived barriers that exist for children at risk of educational inequality while also building their sense of self-worth and raising their expectations. The programme includes an interactive classroom discussion, a trip to a university campus and our annual College Awareness Week. Solas Sports This programme uses the vehicle of rugby to teach life skills and develop character. We create environments that test and build the physical, emotional and intellectual capacities of children. Children develop confidence through learning a new sport and learn valuable life lessons such as team work and courage in a practical way. We also regularly bring local schools together for blitz’s in order to develop relationships in the wider community. The aim of this programme is to use sport based interventions as a tool that will develop youth character in secondary schools located in designated disadvantaged areas in order to shape and reinforce positive attitudes, physical conditioning, community and academic commitment. Solas Business Solas Business is a ‘Dragons Den’ style business development programme that teaches children life skills and encourages creativity and entrepreneurship. This is achieved through corporate mentoring and exposure to a business environment that grounds their experience in reality. The programme pairs a local school with a business who provide volunteer mentors to come alongside the students and work with them over a period of 5 weeks to develop a business idea and prepare to present it to the ‘Dragons’.