Finalist

Fast Forward Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year Award

Deirdre McGillicuddy

Finalist of the Fast Forward Entrepreneurship Educator of the Year Award

University College Dublin - Ireland (Republic)

"Flourish – Nurturing Community, Wellbeing, Creativity & Leadership in Education"


Engage on social media

@deemcgillicuddy
(Deirdre McGillicuddy’s Twitter account)
@ucddublin
(University College Dublin Twitter account)
@ucdsocscilaw
(University College Dublin College of Social Science and Law twitter account)
@SchoolofEdUCD
(University College Dublin School of Education Twitter account)
@UCD_Innovators
(UCD Innovation Academy Twitter)
@NovaUCD
(Nova UCD twitter)

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Summary

Paulo Freire believed education to be “the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world”. As teacher educator, it is critical to empower students to adopt creative and innovative approaches in an increasingly intensified and complex world. Nurturing wellbeing is fundamental to ensuring we nurture creativity and innovation within education. The Flourish initiative creates safe space to nurture and support educator/student wellbeing by building community, fostering creativity and leading education in an age of increasing challenges (such as climate change, war, migration) and opportunities (such as technology, collaboration, student voice). Flourish is underpinned by 4 core values - compassion, care, curiosity and creativity. Uniquely in Higher Education, Flourish intentionally holds space for students to come together in community to focus on wellbeing, to be creative in practice and to lead change across our education system. The intention is the power of the ripple impact – students are invited to use the resources with their own students in schools to create spaces to integrate wellbeing and creativity into classroom pedagogical practices. Integrating such a creative, innovative and compassionate approach into classroom pedagogical practices proffers limitless transformational possibilities for students, teachers, schools and our wider society. As Bell Hooks argues “to teach in a manner that respects and cares for the souls of our students is essential if we are to provide the necessary conditions where learning can most deeply and intimately begin”.

Key People


Dr Deirdre McGillicuddy
Assistant Professor in Education and Project Lead
UCD School of Education,  University College Dublin


Acknowledgements

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference”
(Robert Frost)

I wish to acknowledge all those who have helped to support me in taking the road less travelled.

I am especially grateful to the UCD School of Education, particularly the students, staff and my Head of School, Assoc. Prof William Kinsella. I would also like to acknowledge the UCD Innovation Academy who have supported me from the early stages of the Flourish initiative and through my Innovation Fellowship (2021) funded by CONVENE, allowing me to further develop my work. I would like to acknowledge Alan Morgan from UCD Innovation Academy who has given me the courage to take risks and push myself beyond my limits realising what I could never have even imagined before I began this journey in creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. Finally, to my family and friends who inspire and support me in every way – grá mo chroí go deo sibh.

Images

Deirdre McGillicuddy Profile Photo

Flourish Creativity - Lego Ducks

IMPACT STORY

Impacting lifes

Hero is defined as “one who shows great courage”. Flourish is an invitation to cross the threshold, embark on the hero’s journey, transforming beyond imagination. Each participant takes a risk, stepping into the unknown, pushing beyond comfort zone into a space where possibilities for transformation are limitless. The call to adventure begins with an invitation to create “space to talk about values in education…where ideas are shared, practices result, and community is formed”. This community meets the mentor empowering each individual to themselves take the role of mentor in their work as teacher/educator. Together they cross the threshold into a “supportive and interesting” community as they “take a step into the unknown…know(ing) you will learn and be supported in your efforts”. The known becomes unknown, courage and vulnerability prevail opening hearts and minds to the possibility of true “transformative power”. Flourish brings trials and failures as community members grow new skills through a process of death and rebirth leaving participants “so revived afterwards”. Flourish embodies entrepreneurship by embedding wellbeing and creativity at the heart of teaching and learning in Higher Education. Participants return to the world changed pushing them to “think outside the box”. Such ripples are transferred into the education system where “her [Deirdre’s] originality, passion and personal approach to teaching/lecturing is something I will take with me as I move on to be a teacher – which is indicative of her uniqueness”. Indeed, Flourish “brought the most modern and holistic approach to third level education I have ever seen”.

LEARNINGS

Lessons learned

Einstein once said “we cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them”. Leading for change means challenging ourselves to go against the grain, to push beyond the limits of our imagination and having the courage to be vulnerable, take a risk, embracing failure as a learning opportunity and staying true to our vision and ourselves. Critical to Flourish has been to be brave enough to create and hold a space where participants can slow down, be, and reconnect with who they are in a really meaningful and mindful manner. Unfortunately, slowing down is an act of resistance within the increasingly intensified, neo-liberal and challenging world within which we live. The opportunity to flourish and thrive can be hampered by the everyday demands of our lives. Education has not escaped this ruthless affliction of hurry and haste. Indeed, slowing down is an act of revolution – countercultural to the dominant dogma of striving, achieving and not doing or being enough in education. Bravery is an act of revolution. Embrace that limiting fear when you finally feel brave enough to jump into the unknown – that is where the light reveals itself guiding you on your hero’s journey, not only transforming your own practice, but also inspiring those around you to consider taking their own journey in creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. As Brené Brown states, “vulnerability is not winning or losing. It is having the courage to show up when you can’t control the outcome”.

FUTURE PLANS

What's coming?

My future plans stemming from Flourish involve 3 strands; teaching, research and outreach.

Teaching: I was awarded the inaugural UCD Innovation Fellowship in 2021 to further develop Flourish resulting in the design of a new and innovative module in Irish Initial Teacher Education (ITE), Creative Pedagogies and Wellbeing which will be delivered to students on a new ITE programme from September 2023. This flagship module will be delivered in year 1 of the programme to underpin the importance of creativity, entrepreneurship and wellbeing within and across the 4 year programme preparing teachers to educate students across the Irish education system. The module will adopt an interdisciplinary approach drawing from core themes relating to education, psychology, innovation & creativity, sociology/social justice, pedagogy, philosophy, leadership, EDI (equality, diversity, inclusion) & wellbeing.

Research: I have initiated a research project to explore the role of creativity and innovation in education; The CreatEd Study. Educators from across the continuum of primary and post-primary education across Ireland have been invited to participate in semi-structured interviews exploring creativity and education for transformation in education. Initial findings will be presented at the European Conference on Educational Research (ECER) in September 2022.

Outreach: I intend to continue to contribute to national and international conversations and discourse on the importance of creativity and innovation in education as a means for transforming the world around us.


KEY STATISTICS

500

Students invited to engage with Flourish

10

Themes for flourish activities

5 minutes

Time allocated for students to Flourish - Take 5 for U

1

University College Dublin Teaching and Learning Awardee 2019-20 for Flourish

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