Leanna Byrne | Deputy Editor
Two Trinity students have been awarded fully-funded travel scholarships from EIL Intercultural Learning, a non-profit organisation which provides intercultural learning opportunities for Irish students. Laura McLoughlin and Deirdre Mc Adams, who are both participants in the Trinity Access Programme (TAP), will spend the summer volunteering abroad, participating in a variety of pursuits aimed at fostering cultural immersion and effective altruism.
EIL is recognised as a ‘Peace Messenger’ by the United Nations. The mission of the organisation is to link people across cultures and foster international understanding. Anton Kieffer, Programme Coordinator, explained that the organisation offers Irish students “chance to work on key development projects where their contribution will be valued.
Laura McLoughlin is a Junior Sophister in TCD reading English. She will be volunteering for two months in Oaxaca city in southwest Mexico and will be working on educational and social projects, supporting children learning English, and monitoring art workshops to help create awareness of environment, education, health and nutrition. Deirdre Mc Adams is a Junior Freshman studying medicinal chemistry and will spend two months volunteering in Chiang Mai, the second largest city in Thailand. She will take part in local volunteer work which supports refugees, indigenous groups, single mothers and children with disabilities by facilitating art workshops. These workshops teach skills to support a local economy through crafts and marketable items.
Both students were given the option of which country they wished to volunteer in.
The awards are reflective of previous volunteer and other community involvement as well as leadership potential. McLoughlin is currently the project leader of WriteUp!, a new literacy initiative by Enactus TCD with with The University Times has created a partnership. She also has experience volunteering with educational and social initiatives that help young people from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and something I have wanted to do for a long time” said McLoughlin. “I am delighted to have been given the opportunity and will definitely make the most of it. I really feel like this project suits my personality and the skill set that I have developed through my various work experiences, extracurricular activities and academic life.”
Further information on EIL is available through www.eilireland.org or www.volunteerabroad.ie. They are located at 1 Empress Place, Summerhill North, Cork.
