Primary education programmes

We offer four innovative and engaging programmes for both teachers and students along with personalised school visits for your class. Each programme has been carefully designed to inform students of global issues happening in the world today whilst linking to the current primary school curriculum. They are perfect projects to undertake throughout the school year and are a great way for students to naturally develop their skills and talents through fun and interactive activities.

Want to introduce your students to some of the most important issues facing the world today? Help them acquire the skills needed to formulate an argument, deliver a speech, stand up for their point of view and challenge an opponent’s opinion? Look no further than the Concern Primary Debates!

Schools can enter a team of six students – with three students speaking and the other three acting as subs and researchers. All the motions will be based on development education topics such as climate change, hunger and even issues here in Ireland. We can help support teams with tips on how to research and debate with tailored school workshops.

Interested in the Concern Primary Debates?

The Hunger Heroes programme consists of a series of lesson plans, case studies and classroom activities that have been uniquely tailored for senior primary school students (3rd to 6th class pupils) around the theme of Hunger.

The activities have been designed so that multi-class teachers and teachers of junior primary students will also be able to find activities suitable for their class. There will be a cross-curricular approach in the pack with activity suggestions covering everything from literacy and numeracy to drama and art. Use our Teacher’s Packs to learn more about Hunger, Nutrition, and Development and then take action by organising your very own Hunger Hero fundraiser!

Interested in becoming a Hunger Hero? 

Solar buddies is a project-based competition where students learn about life without regular access to electricity, as well as how solar power is changing the lives of rural communities across the world.

Participating schools will receive an educational workshop and two handheld solar-powered lights to experiment with and to learn about life with limited electricity. Students will then reflect on their experiences through a creative piece of work (i.e. poem, song, painting, etc.) and submit it to Concern for review. The winning team will then get the chance to exchange letters with one of our partner schools halfway around the world!  

Interested in taking part in Solar Buddies?

Our Agents of Change event is a fantastic opportunity for primary and secondary students to speak about or present their journey into activism while meeting like-minded students. Young activists attending Agents of Change will also have the opportunity to meet with Concern staff and discuss their action projects. In 2019, our Agents of Change event took place in Croke Park on Friday 29 March.

Interested in taking part in Agents of Change?

Looking for a talk or workshop in your school? Concern’s dedicated school officers are happy to visit and facilitate an interactive talk or workshops for students 4th class upwards on one of the following themes: Hunger, Water, Gender Equality, Refugees and  Climate Action.

Interested in a Concern workshop or talk?

Concern offers teacher training sessions at both I.T.E. and C.P.D. levels. Our trained Development Education experts can train staff departments or provide a whole school introduction to development education.

Interested in receiving Teacher training?