University College Dublin (UCD) and Gaisce, The President’s Award, have announced a pioneering collaboration that introduces a new elective module designed to support students pursuing their Gaisce Silver Award.
The initiative has been welcomed by President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, who underlined the importance of the partnership by noting:
"Taking part in the Gaisce Award provides young people with an invaluable opportunity to develop their social and personal skills and, through their choice of project, to help build through active citizenship a more ethical and sustainable society. I welcome this new partnership between Gaisce and UCD which will help third level students to participate in the programme in an integrated way with their studies.”
This elective module, co-ordinated by Associate Professor Shane Bergin (UCD School of Education), will run across the two semesters and is open to undergraduate students who are registered for a Gaisce Award, or students who are acting as President’s Award Leaders (PAL). The module integrates personal development, community engagement and experiential learning, enriching the student experience at UCD while reinforcing Gaisce’s mission to empower young people through self-directed challenge and achievement.
“At the launch of the UCD and Gaisce partnership: Professor Colin Scott, UCD Registrar; Professor Niamh Moore-Cherry, Principal of UCD College of Social Sciences and Law; Avril Ryan, CEO of Gaisce; Professor Alessandro Benati, Head of UCD School of Education; Associate Professor Shane Bergin, UCD School of Education and Gaisce Council Member; and UCD students and Gaisce participants Deksha Shankarr and Meabh Lavelle.”
Participants will dedicate 120 hours to completing their Gaisce Challenge Areas: Personal Skill, Community Involvement, Physical Recreation and Adventure Journey. To successfully complete the module, students must demonstrate their progress toward a Gaisce Award.
The module will be piloted during the 2025–2026 academic year with an initial cohort of a maximum of 50 students. It will be available to all eligible students, subject to UCD’s elective regulations and proof of Gaisce registration.
Speaking at the launch, Professor Niamh Moore-Cherry, Principal of UCD College of Social Sciences and Law, said: I am delighted to be signing this MOU between University College Dublin and Gaisce. As a former recipient of a Bronze Gaisce award, I am very conscious of the value of the award in supporting personal development, skills and active citizenship. The values of Gaisce align completely with the ambitions of the university's Breaking Boundaries strategy around the Student Experience and Lifelong Learning. It is important to me that the College of Social Sciences and Law and UCD School of Education is leading the delivery for the university and wider student body, given our ambition to support individuals, communities and societies to thrive in a sustainable way. This important partnership provides a new vehicle to enable students to both develop through new experiences and challenges but also to contribute back in support of wider societal wellbeing."
Avril Ryan, CEO of Gaisce, The President’s Award, added: "Aligning Gaisce with this elective module at UCD is a ground-breaking partnership recognising non-formal, self-directed experiential learning as a vital part of the university experience. The module is innovative and empowering, fulfilling course requirements while allowing students the flexibility to explore their potential through the Gaisce framework, continue their personal growth journey, and develop resilience, leadership and a strong sense of community engagement. Through this pilot, I’m excited that the Gaisce experience is being further highlighted as an important enrichment experience within higher education. It is a powerful step to ensure that young people can continue to thrive through Award progression beyond secondary school."
This initiative marks a significant step in embedding youth development opportunities within higher education, encouraging students to continue their Gaisce journey as part of their academic and personal growth.
For more information about the new UCD module, see the module descriptor. To learn more about how to register with Gaisce, visit the (opens in a new window)Gaisce registration page.