Fort Hill Integrated College and St Colm’s High School are celebrating a year of having worked collaboratively across various aspects of school life as part of a Shared Education Programme. This has included Year 9 classes from each school following common units of work with an emphasis on developing Literacy, Drama and ICT skills. The students have met regularly throughout the year and together have enjoyed a range of educational experiences at venues such as Ulster Museum, Balmoral Show, Tayto Factory and Lisburn Linen Museum.

 

In addition, senior school students from both schools teamed up to enhance their awareness of community service and understanding of global issues, with a focus on the theme of homelessness. Earlier in the year, fourteen students from each school embarked together upon the trip of a lifetime to Washington DC to participate in a range of projects such as working in food kitchens and hostels which provide for the many homeless people in the US capital. The experience galvanised their motivation to become more actively involved in their own communities; all have since embarked upon some form of social action to help benefit others.

 

It is part of an initial three year programme which has laid foundations for learning opportunities in innovative and exciting contexts along with fostering positive relations between young people from across communities in a spirit of joint purpose and reconciliation.  St Colm’s High School and Fort Hill Integrated College students look forward to further opportunities to learn and to live together.