The Community Mentoring (CM) programme is a unique inter-institutional and community-based mentoring programme that is comprised of Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art Design and Technology (IADT), Marino Institute of Education (MIE), Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and University College Dublin (UCD).

Community Mentors are a valuable community resource, who can help to share information and advice about their college experience, to help prospective students build their awareness of college courses, how to apply, and the benefits of a college education. Community Mentors are drawn from the following under-represented groups at third-level:

• Mature students
• Further education and training (FET) entrants
• Under-represented socio-economic group
• Students with a disability
• Students from an ethnic minority group
• Lone parents
• 1916 Bursary recipients

While Community Mentoring will increase mentees’ confidence in relation to higher education, Community Mentoring ultimately, at the highest-level, aims to improve the levels of diversity in higher education and increase equity of access for all communities in Dublin.

Although we’d like to, we aren’t in a position to pay our Community Mentors.

Community Mentors often speak about the feel-good factor of ‘giving back’ to their community or supporting an organisation that mission they are passionate about. As well as the feel-good factor, Community Mentors can be provided with glowing references, the opportunity to meet like-minded people, develop their employability skills and most importantly, be a part of a team actively tackling educational inequality in a hands-on way.

We’re looking at a commitment of around 8 hours across the academic year. Many Community Mentors feel a sense of accomplishment and rejuvenation after each session that drives their studies further.

• Attend Community Mentoring Training sessions (approx. 3 hours in total)
• Deliver 3 mentoring sessions ( 3 x 1 hour sessions)

Yes, we will provide you with a Community Mentor handbook which will provide a step-by-step guide on how to deliver each mentoring session. Community Mentors will be required to attend a compulsory online Leadership and Training Day that will provide you with the tools, techniques and skills to begin your Community Mentor journey confidently.

You will facilitate group mentoring sessions to 

• Secondary Schools: Be a mentor to 2nd Year or Transition Year pupil or
• Further Education and Training Institutions: Be a mentor to mature students who plan to progress to third-level or
• Community Groups: Be a mentor to young adults aged 15 to 17 or adult learners who plan to progress to third-level.

If you have a preference for the organisation you would like to mentor, please ensure you read the options listed in the application form carefully.

Mentoring sessions will take place online using your chosen organisation’s preferred online platform. The organisation you are a Community Mentor for will ensure you can access the platform. In most cases, you will be presented on a screen with the staff member acting as a facilitator between you and the group. At each session, there will be 2 Community Mentors, 30 students, a staff member from the organisation, and Molly, Community Mentoring Project Coordinator, will check-in from time to time.

Applications for 2023/2024 are now open.

Submit your(opens in a new window)application formby Friday 6th October to sign up to be a Community Mentor.

Our Project Coordinator Molly will contact you by email to outline the following:

• Community Mentoring Training;
• The Community Mentor you will be delivering the mentoring sessions with;
• Your Host Organisation;
• Tusla’s Children’s First E-Learning Programme. You will be required to complete this 1.5 hour programme and send your certificate of completion to Molly;
• The Garda Vetting Process

You can contact Molly, Community Mentoring Project Coordinator, by email at (opens in a new window)mdillonl@tcd.ie or Áine Murphy, Outreach Officer, UCD Access & Lifelong Learning (opens in a new window)aine.murphy@ucd.ie with any questions and/or queries you may have.