St Joseph’s / Aidlink Uganda Immersion Project 2019

January 2018

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We are delighted to announce that your son/daughter is being offered the exciting opportunity to participate in a two-week immersion programme in Uganda. The programme is being offered to next year’s 4th and 5th Year students and is being organised in conjunction with the Irish charity Aidlink. This will be the second programme of its kind that St Joseph’s has undertaken. In March 2016, 27 students and 5 teachers from the school travelled to Uganda with Aidlink and we are thrilled to be in a position to offer this once in a lifetime opportunity again.

In addition to representatives from the the charity, five teachers from St Joseph’s will be accompanying the students. The teachers involved are Mr Reade, Ms McGowan, Ms Brophy, Ms Quinn and Mr Mulligan.

General information concerning the proposed trip:

Students and teachers will travel to Uganda for approximately two weeks in June 2019.

Aidlink is heavily involved in the organisation of this programme – further information about this charity can be found at . Anne Cleary, the Executive Officer of Aidlink, launched the programme to both year groups recently and answered many of their questions. Please discuss this with your son/daughter. Information relating to the 2016 programme can be found on the school website at , as well as pictures and videos.

The purpose of the programme is one of immersion which by its very nature involves students experiencing life in a culture and a context that is very different from their own. This is not an action relief project. Students will be expected to embrace African life with the expectation that it will challenge their emotions and opinions. Attending classes with their African peers will be an important aspect of the programme.

Students will stay in the same accommodation as the teachers for the full duration of the visit.

 Approximate cost of the programme will be €1,300 per student that will be spread out over the next 15 months. An initial downpayment (non-refundable deposit) of €200 will apply with the balance payable on a monthly basis (no more than €100/month or €25/week) – further details of this and the time frame will be provided in due course.

Both individual and group fundraising will be a core element of the programme prior to departure and students/sponsors must be willing to engage in this process. This is in addition to the financial contribution outlined above.

More detailed information will be provided in due course but in order to facilitate the planning of the trip, interested students should please complete the attached application form and return it to the school office by 4pm on Monday 19th February 2018. We are encouraging your son/daughter to type his/her application if possible. In addition to the written applications, students will be required to attend an interview.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact one of the co-ordinating teachers.

Yours sincerely,

______

Patricia Hayden

Principal, St Joseph’s Rush

St Joseph’s / Aidlink Uganda Immersion Project 2019

Application Form

Name
Date of birth
Class
  1. Personal Statement Requirements

Please submit a personal statement (preferably typed and approximately 500 words) explaining why you would like to be part of the St Joseph’s / Aidlink Uganda Immersion Project. Your personal statement is an important part of the selection process as well as an interview (date to be decided). You must refer to the following in your personal statement:

1 Your reasons for wanting to go to Uganda.

2 How you have shown leadership at home/ in school /in your community.

3 The personal qualities you will bring to the team going to Uganda.

4 Your idea of what people in the world need to do to bring the first world and third world closer together in terms of equal rights for everyone.

______
______

______

______
______

______
______

______

______
______

______

______
______

  1. Parental/Guardian Permission, Fundraising and Sponsorship

(Student’s name) ______has my permission to participate in the St Joseph’s/Aidlink Uganda Immersion Project in 2019.

Parent/Guardian signature: ______

Contact Number: ______

Please read the following information and complete this section

Fundraising will be a major aspect of this project. Every student who is selected for the team will be involved in the fundraising as part of the team and on a personal level. To help you with both aspects of this task you need a sponsor to support you. Your sponsor will have a key role in helping you to prepare for the trip to Uganda and this will require them to be available to participate in fundraising activities with you. Please discuss this with your sponsor.

Please list and briefly explain three fundraising activities you and your sponsor would like to suggest.

Fundraising Activity 1: ______
______

Fundraising Activity 2: ______
______

Fundraising Activity 3: ______
______

I (student’s name) ______and I (sponsor’s name) ______am prepared and committed to help organise and undertake fundraising activities for the St Joseph’s /Aidlink Uganda Immersion Project.

Sponsor’s relation to student (eg: parent, grandparent): ______

Contact number for sponsor: ______

Sponsor’s signature ______Date ______

Student’s signature ______Date ______

Please include the names of two referees who are willing to support your application (one teacher and one other person for example, your sports coach, part-time employer etc)

Referee 1: ______Relation to student: ______

Referee 2: ______Relation to student: ______

You must submit your typed and printed personal statement along with this signed form by 4pm on Monday 19th February 2018 in an envelope clearly marked Uganda Immersion Project 2019.