The ASPIRE Project
An exciting multi-year, Shared Education initiative
bringing children, along with families and communities from different backgrounds together to learn and foster peace. This project is supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) and will receive €34.5m (£29m) in funding. Early Years lead the pre-school element of the project.
“We don’t want differences to be a burden or a hindrance. We want it to be celebrated.”
Lee-Ann Rock, Wishing Well Pre-School, Belfast
Find out how your setting can take part
New Application Guidance Webinars
Applications for new settings to take part in the second year of ASPIRE, commencing in September 2025, will be open between 16 – 30th May 2025.
Early Years are hosting webinars to provide guidance on the application process, key timelines and the support settings will be provided throughout the year. You’ll also have the chance to meet members of the ASPIRE team and ask any questions you may have.
The dates and registration details to attend either webinar are as follows;
About ASPIRE
ASPIRE (Advancing Shared Partnerships through Inclusive Relationships in Education), brings children from different backgrounds together to promote peace, reconciliation and inclusivity. A successor of Sharing from the Start, ASPIRE connects pre-school settings across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland in partnerships of difference. The project began in 2024 and will conclude in December 2028.
Through Shared Education, children from partner settings will take part in a wide range of curriculum based sessions including art, music, cultural activities and sports. As well as improving children’s educational outcomes, these sessions will help them grow and develop in a more diverse, shared society.
Why ASPIRE
The ASPIRE project aims to benefit children, families, educators and wider communities. As well as delivering sessions for the children, the project will include workshops for family members – helping to build stronger connections between people of different backgrounds.
Partner settings also greatly benefit from working together, sharing their skills and expertise throughout the project. Staff from different settings often form close working relationships and friendships through Shared Education projects.
Shared Education also has an important role in bringing wider communities together – promoting good relations and respect for diversity and community cohesion. Through community-based Shared Education sessions, children can also become more confident being out and about in their local communities.
“It brings the communities closer together, friendships start to grow and it builds confidence and resilience within the children.”
Sarah Thompson, Orritor PS Nursery Unit, Cookstown
What does ASPIRE involve?
Settings taking part in ASPIRE will be required to;
Establish a cross-community partnership with a setting of a predominantly different religion, ethnicity, socio-economic background, and / or needs.
Plan and document joint Shared Education sessions – 30 hours for each child per academic year.
Commit to attend professional development training and workshops.
A commitment to full participation in the ASPIRE Project over the lifetime of the project.
Support for Settings
Early Years specialists will provide personal support to settings throughout the project, sharing guidance on best practice and practical support. A dedicated digital hub will also be developed to facilitate collaboration between settings, families and Early Years specialists. Curriculum resources and a professional development programme will be developed and shared through the digital hub.
The ASPIRE Project will also include;
Training, mentoring and professional development opportunities
Peer support networks
Parent workshops
Symposiums and festivals of learning with invited experts
Financial support to facilitate the delivery of sessions
Holy Cross Preschool / Playgroup and Wishing Well Pre-School
Through the ASPIRE Project, settings have delivered a wide range of innovative activities. For example, Holy Cross Preschool / Playgroup and Wishing Well Pre-School in Belfast joined together for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration where the children enjoyed Irish dancing, playing games and learning together.
Roisin from Holy Cross and Lee-Anne from Wishing Well explain the important benefits of bringing children and educators together through shared education.
Partners
Education Authority
The Education Authority is the Lead Partner of the project. They are responsible for the provision and delivery of education and youth services in Northern Ireland. It has led to a wide range of shared education cross-sectoral and cross-border programmes, which promote inclusion, collaboration and mutual respect among children from diverse backgrounds.
Early Years
Early Years is the largest organisation in Northern Ireland working with and for young children. It has led cross-border partnerships across multiple PEACE and INTERREG Programmes over the last 20 years.
Léargas
Léargas fund and manage intercultural, collaborative projects across Ireland and internationally. Its work promotes an inclusive Ireland where everyone can participate in and enjoy the transformational value of lifelong learning experiences. It has a long history of delivering cross-border programmes that strengthen community relations in Northern Ireland and Ireland.
National Childhood Network (NCN)
NCN is a community voluntary organisation that supports and enhances the provision of childhood services and associated social inclusion projects. NCN is based in County Monaghan and has extensive experience of designing and delivering cross-border projects that support peace and reconciliation across the island of Ireland.
Fermanagh Trust
The Fermanagh Trust is an independent community-based foundation which supports local communities and groups across County Fermanagh and the surrounding area. The Trust has played a key role in a range of shared education projects and launched the Rural Centre for Shared Education in 2015.
Contact Us
For further information about the ASPIRE Project, including partnership opportunities and programme details, please contact the ASPIRE Team at;
PEACEPLUS Programme
This project is supported by the European Union’s “PEACEPLUS Programme”, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).
More information on SEUPB is available here: http://www.seupb.eu/