Sustainable Communities 

The award-winning Programme for Students Learning With Communities (SLWC) supports students, staff, and community partners to engage in community-engaged learning and research (also known as service-learning, community-based research, or Science Shop) across TU Dublin (Bolton Street, Grangegorman and Aungier Street campuses).

Students Learning With Communities involves TU Dublin staff and/or students collaborating with underserved community partners (local groups, not-for-profit organisations, charities etc) to develop real-life projects for mutual benefit – exchanging and co-creating knowledge, enhancing research and teaching, and supporting community goals, while addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Learning comes alive for the students as they work on these projects with community partners, developing professional transferable skills, and enhancing their understanding of their specialist subject skills and of the community they work with. Students receive course credits for their work, as these projects are embedded into their studies. Community partners become part of the teaching process through the collaboration, contributing their knowledge and expertise, and increasing the relevance of TU Dublin research and programmes of study. The processes and outcomes of the collaborative projects are designed to further the community's goals. These projects give all participants the opportunity to engage in critical thinking, and ultimately aim to energise participants to work for social change.