Eil Newsletter March 24

THE NEW EIL NEWSLETTER

STAYCONNECTED,GETINVOLVED!

We're thrilled to reintroduce our EIL Newsletter, your go-to source for all things related to intercultural learning, global adventures, and impactful experiences As we embark on this journey to keep you updated and engaged, we ' re excited to share stories, news, and insights from our vibrant EIL community

What to Expect:

Our aim is to bring you a fresh issue of the newsletter every month, packed with inspiring content and updates

Who's It For:

Whether you ' re an EIL participant embarking on an adventure in Ireland or abroad, a dedicated volunteer supporting our initiatives, or one of our valued partners, this newsletter is for you! From Explorers to Study Abroad Students, from Host Families to Local Coordinators, and from colleges to like-minded organisations who share our values and missions, everyone is invited to be part of our newsletter community.

Share Your Story:

We want this newsletter to reflect the diverse experiences and voices within our EIL family. Do you have a memorable moment from your exploration? An insightful reflection on your study abroad journey? Or perhaps an inspiring story from your time as a volunteer or partner? We'd love to hear from you! Share your stories, photos, and experiences with us, and you might see them featured in future issues

Stay Connected:

To stay up-to-date with the latest news, stories, training opportunities and more from EIL, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter And don't forget to follow us on social media for additional updates and behind-the-scenes content

Get Involved:

Any feedback, suggestions, or ideas for our newsletter? We'd love to hear from you! Reach out to us with your thoughts and contributions, and let's continue to build a vibrant and engaging community together

IN THIS ISSUE:

Staff News - p.2

Meet our newest EIL staff members Learn more about our new CEO Aideen O’Leary and Study Abroad Coordinator Justyna

Hear from Study Abroad Students in Ireland - p.3-4

From stories about making new friends, to sightseeing in Ireland, to starring in a school musical Find out how our Study Abroad Students explore Ireland

Reflective Post on Mexican Historyp.5

One of our 2023 Explorers shares her discovery of Ireland’s link with Mexico’s Independence

Explore News - p.6

In March we welcomed some of our Explore 2024 Winners to our office in Cork

Training Opportunities - p.7

Enrol in AFS’s Foundation Course of Intercultural Learning and Global Competence

Upcoming Events - p.8

Do you want to get involved with EIL? Don’t miss out on these upcoming events

Thank you for being part of the EIL journey Here's to many more adventures and meaningful connections ahead!

Warm regards,

The EIL Team

NEW CEO “LOOKINGFORWARD”

The Board of EIL/AFS is pleased to announce the appointment of Aideen O’Leary as CEO Aideen’s appointment follows the retirement of long standing CEO Kevin Hickey Aideen brings EIL/AFS a wealth of professional experience across sectors and geographies, including 6 years working in the development sector in Africa and a background in international banking In addition to speaking French and Spanish, Aideen has a post graduate in Finance and an MBA in Leadership and Sustainability and has always embodied the ethos and values of EIL/AFS, having lived in 7 countries and travelled to 50

Prior to joining EIL/AFS, Aideen oversaw Irish charity Bóthar through a significant crisis, and was instrumental in implementing robust governance and financial controls, clean accounts, and leading the organisation back to a position of being able to actively fundraise

According to EIL/AFS Board Chair, Niamh Hill, Aideen joins EIL at a pivotal time as the organisation is back on a growth trajectory following the challenges of the Covid pandemic Ms Hill went on to say that “We are excited about the skillset, experience and passion that Aideen brings to the organisation and we ’ re very much looking forward to working with her in the coming years ”

MEET OUR NEW SUPPORT COORDINATOR

Justyna recently joined EIL Ireland as our new Support Coordinator for Study Abroad.

Born and raised in Poland where she completed a Master’s Degree in social work, Justyna came to Ireland in 2006 and now considers it a second home She’s an experienced professional with a background in pedagogy and work in youth counselling and therapeutic services After coming to Ireland, Justyna gained experience in customer service working with people from all over the world

Outside of work she likes reading, music, spending time with family and friends and observing the world and people, admiring how everyone is different and at the same time how much we all have in common

FROM BRAZIL TO IRELAND

I would say that the expression “ come to terms with reality” is what best defines the experience that I am having here. Being born and living in the same country my whole life, there were so many concepts and habits that I took for granted and never had second thoughts about...

It was just after coming to live in a whole other continent that I understood that pretty much all that we do is culture. The way that I brush my teeth three times a day, the way that I take one to two showers a day. How I hug my friends and kiss them on the cheek, how I address my teachers and superiors. But the greatest lesson that I’ve learned is that, despite all the tiny little things that make us so different, we are all still the same.

It doesn’t matter where or in which culture you were born, there are things that are equal to all of us We all need friendship and family We all need a reason to laugh and be carefree about We all need to wake up expecting to have a great and fulfilling day before resting our heads in our pillows again We all deserve to be happy And because of those similarities between cultures I was able to find the most amazing and welcoming people here, and I am grateful that, even though we have the Atlantic ocean separating our worlds, we could find friendship in one another

TRIP TO GIANT'S CAUSEWAY & DUNLUCE CASTLE

Some of our Study Abroad students spent an amazing day at the Dunluce Castle and at the Giants Causeway with their Local Coordinator Celia Power.

The students enjoyed gorgeous views and incredible sunny weather

They are already looking forward to their upcoming trip to explore even more of our magical Ireland. The students are highly motivated to visit as many sights as possible before they leave Ireland

- Manoela Leite Turra, Current Study Abroad Student from Brazil

STAR OF THE SCHOOL MUSICAL

Hey, my name is Simon Haimböck and I am an Austrian AFS student in Ireland, Monaghan I am here to tell about my experience in the school musical production of St Macartan's College, where I played a part. Performing a play called: “Back to the Eighties" together with my Irish classmates was a great experience and granted me the opportunity to get to know all of them much better and also to make new friends, something I am very grateful for

Contrary to my expectations, the casting for the musical was actually quite uncomplicated It wasn't at all like it is often portrait in those high school movies, where the students attending to be part in the school musical have to come up with some Broadway worthy performance, blowing everyone away Instead we were simply split in two groups, after the two responsible teachers listened to all of us sing the refrain of " man in the mirror" I personally think the casting was held easy since the expectation for the school musical consisting of around 30 boys going through puberty were limited

Next step was to distribute the roles. That was a bit more complicated since nobody was too keen on playing a female character or a nerd, so the teachers just those selected students who they thought would put up a good effort and performance in main or more important role Now that the casting was finished and everybody had a role it was time to move on and start rehearsing Because our musical was scheduled to be on the 28th, 29th of February and the first of March we at first went easy on the practises and only spent one hour a week singing, practising our lines and analysing others schools performances. But like always when you have the best year of your live - time just flew by, and before we knew it we found ourselves only 1 month before our 3 big evenings Now it was time to put all the time we spent preparing into creating dances and scenes. From this point on we would spend every hour for next 3 to 4 weeks in the theatre practising Although it took some patience at first we soon had a full two hour performance prepared for the upcoming nights

Then the last two rehearsals came, that also happened to be the first once using all the technology like microphones, stage lights and smoke machines, turning our school theatre in an almost professional theatre.

Since English is not my mother tongue, I had some trouble with the pronunciation of more complicated sentences, what added pressure since the character I was representing is a bit of a nerd or to put it a bit more positive an " intellectual" using only the highest form of the English language with the side effect that my brain felt like it was melting while I was holding some speech about silicon chip technology in front of crowd of two hundred people as part of the musical The three performances went very well anyway and besides some smaller slipups by everyone we had a great time and a lot of good craic I would definitely do it again and recommend it to everyone!

- Simon Haimböck, Current Study Abroad Student from Austria

WWW.EILIRELAND.ORG

IRELAND’S LINK WITH MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE

Throughout my journey in Mexico the one thing that stood out to me most was the striking history between Ireland and Mexico No matter where I went, once people found out that I was from Ireland, they thanked my family for their help At first I found this quite strange, how did they know my family? Why would they say such a thing? This was until a lovely man explained to me the fascinating link between the Irish people and the Mexican fight for independence

The St Patrick's Battalion, also known as the San Patricios, was a unique and significant part of history They were a group of Irish and other European immigrants who fought as part of the Mexican Army during the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848

The St Patrick's Battalion originated from the influx of Irish immigrants who had fled the Great Famine in Ireland and found themselves in the United States Some of these Irish immigrants enlisted in the U S Army, but due to grievances with the treatment they received and their sympathy towards the Mexican cause, a number of them defected and joined the Mexican forces Many believe the battalion is related to the Mexican people Their home was being colonised very similarly to what happened in Ireland

John Riley, the leader of the San Patricios, was a significant figure within the St Patrick's Battalion He was an Irish immigrant who played a key role in organizing and leading this group of Irish and European volunteers who fought for the Mexican Army during the MexicanAmerican War

I was quite interested to learn more about what Riley's background was and motivations for joining the San Patricios Like many of the Irish immigrants of that time, he had experienced hardship and discrimination in the United States This, coupled with his potential sympathy for the Mexican cause, led him to defect from the U S Army and align himself with the Mexican forces

Under Riley's leadership, the San Patricios participated in several battles against the U S Army, displaying their courage and determination However, unfortunately, their efforts ultimately ended in defeat, and many of the San Patricios were captured and faced severe consequences

The story of John Riley and the San Patricios is a fascinating chapter in history, highlighting the complex dynamics and intertwining of different cultures during times of conflict Today, the story of the St Patrick's Battalion is remembered as a symbol of the complex historical connections between Ireland, Mexico, and the United States It has become a source of pride for some, particularly in Mexico and among those of Irish descent, who view the battalion as valiant fighters who stood up against what they perceived as injustice

It's a fascinating part of history, and I would highly recommend visiting the statue of John Reilly in Mexico City

Molly Measey, Explore 2023 Winner

MEET SOME OF OUR EXPLORE 2024 WINNERS

A DAY OF EXCITEMENT AND CONNECTION IN CORK

On Thursday, March 7th, EIL had the pleasure of welcoming ten remarkable individuals to their Enrolment Day in Cork, a momentous occasion that marked the official induction of our Explore 2024 Winners This induction event was filled with excitement, anticipation, and the promise of extraordinary adventures to come.

During the day, we had the opportunity to sit down and chat with the new Explorers, getting to know them on a personal level and gaining insight into their aspirations for the programme. In addition to connecting with EIL staff, the event also provided the participants with the chance to interact with our dedicated volunteers, many of whom are past Explorers themselves or have embarked on their own transformative journeys abroad. These meaningful exchanges allowed this year ’ s Explorers to get valuable advice and encouragement from those who have walked the path before them

Throughout the day, the Explorers also delved deeper into the rich history of EIL, gaining a better understanding of EIL's values and the mission to provide intercultural learning experiences that enrich lives and inspire global citizenship They also received insights into what lies ahead, including potential projects and destinations.

Congratulations to the Explore 2024 Winners for reaching this fantastic milestone Your passion for exploration, commitment to global citizenship, and eagerness to make a difference are truly commendable, and we cannot wait to see the incredible impact you will make in communities around the world

And a big thank you to our volunteers for their continuous support and guidance Your invaluable contributions play a vital role in shaping the experiences of our Explorers and empowering them to become catalysts for positive change.

Here's to new beginnings and unforgettable adventures!

#Explore24 - Travel, Learn, Change

Curious about the rest of our 2024 Explorers? We connected with them at another Enrolment Day in Dublin shortly after Stay tuned for the big reveal in our next EIL Newsletter issue!

WWW.EILIRELAND.ORG

SHOUT OUT TO ALL VOLUNTEERS

Are you ready to take your volunteer journey to the next level? Join AFS’s comprehensive training program designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in your role The training is offered every two months, with the next session kicking off in April. Can't make it then? No worries! They have sessions starting in June, August, October, and beyond!

Here's what you can expect:

Flexible Schedule: Complete the training at your own pace over six weeks

Engaging Modules: Dive into 11 different modules, each taking between 20 to 60 minutes.

Interactive Sessions: Attend three live online sessions (90 minutes each) to reinforce your learning and connect with fellow volunteers. The first one is usually 2 weeks after the beginning of the course and the other two follow with 2 weeks apart You’ll be offered a couple of dates and times to choose from for each session

Learn More: Find all the details about the course and its modules on their website:

https://afs.org/volunteer-staff-training/foundationscourse/

This training is a great opportunity to deepen your understanding of intercultural learning and global competence We strongly encourage every volunteer to complete this training, as it provides a solid foundation for future involvement, training, and facilitating.

Ready to embark on this enriching learning journey? Let us know your preferred start date, and we'll secure your spot in the upcoming training session. Don't miss out on this opportunity to enhance your volunteer experience and make a greater impact in our community Contact us to reserve your spot today and elevate your volunteerism to new heights!

+353 21 455 1535 exploreteam@eilireland.org