Aims and Objectives:

1. To encourage Travellers enrolled on a higher level course to see it through to completion, via peer support.
2. To identify Traveller specific problems in getting to and remaining in college. Finding solutions for these problems.
3. Reaching out to young Travellers still in school, who may be interested in going on to third level education, and to encourage and support them to do so.

Background Info:


In the summer of 2009, the Irish Traveller Movement had floated an idea of founding a peer support group for Travellers currently attending third level education. This idea was built upon the fact that in 2007 33 Travellers had registered in a third level education in the Irish institutions (HEA Equal Access data collection, 2007), and it was felt that more possibly had not been identified. It was felt that it would be a positive and rewarding project to bring these Traveller students together to share their experiences of third level education. This has proven to be a huge success and the project is now looking at expanding and moving forward with your help and participation.


After many phone calls and inquiries in order to find Traveller Students who may be interested in such a group, a new peer support network Supporting Travellers in College (STIC) was conceived fresh with a snazzy acronym.  The first meeting of STIC took place on September 11 2009. A total of five Travellers attended the first meeting of the new group from a range of different disciplines ranging from Social Care to Medicine, with two more students sending their apologies.


The meeting proved to be a huge success with those present found that they shared many similar experiences but also many unique too. A second meeting and Third meeting were organised and held in the Royal College Surgeons and NUI Maynooth respectively seeing even more students joining the group. In the period of September to December 2009 the group showed excellent promise and met a total of four times in the period, but alas as is the nature with third level education course work and exams made such regular meetings slightly more difficult.


In spite of those challenges for the group remain defiant to keep meetings and the group going and met twice in 2010 finding that many of their hopes for STIC were unchanged. STIC cannot be described in a word or even a sentence, it has many facades. It is a project with many hopes and infinite potential. Those active in the group hold common beliefs in that they hope to see the expansion of the group to incorporate larger numbers into it.


STIC is a peer support group for Travellers within third level, but also is a group that wishes to work so that it may act as encouragement for young Travellers to attend further education and for mature Travellers to return to education, and offers a safe space for those who are to share their views, thoughts, and experiences. Alongside offering such a space STIC also offers anonymity if that be the wish of the participant in the group. 


It also hopes to work in a way to identify problems which are specific to Travellers in the structure of the Irish education system and tackle these reasons. The potential of the group is shown in the fact that much interest has been taken in STIC by external organisations such as the Access offices, the Visiting Teaching Services, and even what is a major coup for STIC Minister John Maloney TD.  The group is also been supported by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) Access Office.


STIC has offered a place for experiences to be shared and potential for progress in the field of further education for Travellers to be made, and also a space where friendships have been forged. The members of STIC look to the future of the group optimistically, and feel that any Traveller in third level or thinking of attending third level education would be more than welcome to attend one of our meetings.



Frequently Asked Questions.


Q. Where are STIC meetings usually take place?


STIC meetings normally convene in Dublin due to issues concerning the availability of public transport, funding and the accessibility of the meetings location. One meeting has been previously held in Maynooth. It is the intention of the STIC group to spread the location of meetings through a wider geographical range, funding permitting.



Q. Must I be a third level student to attend a meeting of the group?


Yes. STIC is a group which focuses solely on Traveller students attending third level education. STIC is open to all Travellers attending any form of third level education which means that STIC is also open to Mature and Community College students.
 


Q. I have finished my third level education, could I still get involved with STIC?


Travellers who have finished or have had experience of third level education are welcome to attend meetings and get involved with STIC. STIC feels that such experience would be invaluable to achieving the aims and objectives of the group.



Q. I would like to share my experiences with STIC, but I do not feel comfortable openly identifying myself as a Traveller in third level. Would membership of STIC compromise this?


No. STIC strives to be a safe space. STIC will not share personal information of members of the group with either third level institutions or any other third party. Though some members have wrote pieces about themselves on behalf of STIC this has been completely voluntary and is not a requirement for membership of STIC.



Q: If I share something private in the group about my experience in College or home will this be kept confidential?


Anything said within a STIC meeting cannot be publicised or repeated without the consent of whoever said it.



Q: How do I get involved?

Get involved in STIC by emailing sticitm@gmail.com or contacting the Irish Traveller Movement at 01 6796577.




Testimonies:

 


My name is Margaret O'Leary. I am married with three sons. I am currently studying law as a mature student in Carlow IT. I have just completed my first year which was very scary as I left school at fourteen years old. I received a scholarship from the Bank of Ireland millennium fund, which was a great help.When I complete my law degree I hope to become a barrister or solicitor and to work in human rights.

 


My name is Melissa McDonagh, I’m 20 and I've just finished my BA in Sociology and Geography at NUI Maynooth, I loved college and had great support from the departments and access office. I found primary school extremely difficult and faced a lot of discrimination and prejudices. My parents, visiting teacher and secondary school teachers were extremely supportive of me and without the support and dedication I don't think I would have got to where I am. I joined STIC in September 2009 this was the groups first meeting. Here we get to meet other Travellers in college and those pursuing third level education. I am currently working as a social care worker and love this line of work but will also be pursuing my education doing a post grad part time in the next year.



My name is Kathleen McDonagh, I'm 19 and am in my second year at NUI Maynooth studying Anthropoly and Sociology last year I studied Law also. I was short points in my leaving cert so did an access course called Access 21 as another entry route into third level. I didn't find it easy in primary or secondary school as I faced a lot of discrimination throughout. I started STIC in October 2009 and went to the meeting with my sister. This is a great opportunity to meet other Travellers in college and my hopes is that the group expands in the near future.





David Joyce

 

My name is David Joyce. I have recently finished my degree at NUI Maynooth, which was a BA in history and sociology. As with all young Travellers I have good and bad experiences of the education system and have faced challenges. I feel that a group such as STIC can be very important in getting more Travellers young and old into higher education and keeping them there. This is because STIC is the first group aimed specifically at Travellers who are in third level, and it is for Travellers by Travellers. I would hope to see the group grow and expand in the coming years. At the moment I am taking in a break in study but wish to do post grad very soon. For this reason I wish to stay involved with STIC. However STIC has also allowed me to build new friendships which is another reason I wish to stay involved with the group.




Owen Ward

My name is Owen Ward. I am a mature student currently studying Human rights at the National University of Ireland Galway.When i was 15 years old dropped out from school, it wasnt until i was 25 years old that i decided to apply for the mature access course in NUI Galway.I got accepted and i finished my exams last April and i passed all of them, I also attended the European Roma Rights Centre Roma summer workshop which was held in Budapest this summer. Going back into education has been one of the best decisions of my life, the sky is the limit. When i have completed my degree i hope to work in the area of Traveller/Roma rights.


The Irish Traveller Movement would like to acknowledge funding received from the Higher Education Authority (HEA) in support of the Travellers in College initiative. For more information see the HEA website.




Patrick Mc Donagh

My name is Patrick Mc Donagh, I’m 21, from Omagh in Co. Tyrone, and I am about to enter into my fourth year of Medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (Dublin).

I completed my A-levels at a Christian Brothers grammar in the North, and I have to say my teachers were by and large very good even from primary level. I’ve been lucky in that throughout school I found my studies interesting and at times enjoyable, and when the time came I wanted to make good use of my grades.

I have faced some challenges along the way - sometimes study is the last thing you want to do. My family, though, have been there for me when I needed them, thanks be to God, and even my wider family and other members of the Traveller community have shown an interest and offered a word of support for what I’m doing, which I appreciate. My college (RCSI) have also been first-class, and I’ve been able to identify myself as a Traveller with them from the beginning.

I was delighted to learn about this initiative as I’d been looking for ways to get to know other Travellers in college. My hope is that the group might help to make a difference for Travellers at some stage in the future.