Dublin Simon Community

For the past 25 years, a partnership governed by a Memorandum of Understanding has facilitated collaboration between the School and the Dublin Simon Community. This partnership offers two accredited programmes: the Certificate in Volunteering and the Certificate in Digital Strategy. The Certificate in Volunteering places a strong emphasis on reflective practice, incorporating both formal and non-formal learning approaches. Additionally, the partnership supports PhD research, work placements, live projects, and field trips, enhancing experiential learning opportunities. The quality of these programmes is ensured through validation, monitoring, and delivery in accordance with the University’s Quality Enhancement Framework. The primary participants are volunteers from the Dublin Simon Community, with over 500 graduates having completed these and other programmes over the past 25 years. The initiative is financially viable and aligns with the School’s strategy for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in addition to its commitment to community-based learning.