Tralee Education Centre (TEC) / IRELAND

Tralee Education Centre (TEC) is one of a national network of 30 Education Centres charged by the Irish Government Department of Education and Skills with providing Continuing Professional Development for teachers in all the Republic of Ireland’s schools.  

Tralee Education Centre (TEC) is responsible for in-service training for all 144 Primary schools and 27 Post Primary Schools in County Kerry. In-service training includes day release programmes for teachers, evening classes and online resources. In addition to its in-service remit TEC is the National Administrative Centre for Teacher-Artist Partnership CPD Summer Programmes (TAP) and Creative Clusters under the Creative Ireland Initiative and it is the National Base for any Primary School Curriculum change. Personnel at Tralee Education Centre have over 25 years’ experience in running projects and making appropriate arrangements for conferences. Tralee Education Centre, under the auspices of the Department of Education and Skills is the national administrative and coordinating centre for all CPD in Arts and Creativity in Education in Ireland under the national policies of the Arts in Education Charter (2012) and the Creative Ireland – Creative Youth Pillar 1 Programme (2017-2022). 

TEC specifically nationally administers the Irish Teacher-Artist Partnership CPD Programme (TAP) and Creative Clusters which is delivered in the network of 21 Educations Centres in Ireland (ESCI). Since 2015, TEC has led the Irish TAP National CPD Summer Courses Programme and associated Residencies which focus on enabling teachers and artists to jointly develop their understanding, expertise and creativity in ‘arts in education’ work with children and young people. It involves the development of cultural networks and a national exchange platform for organisations and practitioners engaging in and sharing best practices for TAP PD in education, community and arts settings. TAP-PD addresses this priority for a more inclusive and relevant education by researching and meeting the training and support needs of teaching staff and associated professionals in primary schools so they are better prepared to meet the challenges of educating children and young people for an uncertain future where skills like the ability to connect and collaborate with others, engage in creative and critical thinking and practice inclusivity at every level will be paramount to peace, stability, sustainable economic growth and equality. It has built up significant expertise around arts education, arts-in-education and creativity in education since 2013. Many of the staff/associate staff (TAP Trainer of Trainer Group) have qualifications in these areas and have developed highly innovative practices. This expertise will be utilised in the provision of online and face to face courses for educators in partner countries and beyond. Schools in Ireland will be included, where their expertise is seen to be representing best Irish practice.

Team of the I-TAP-PD project:

Terry O Sullivan – TEC Director

Terry O Sullivan – TEC Director
Dr. Katie Sweeney – National Director for the Integration of the Arts in Education
Denise Blake – TAP Lead Artist/Trainer of Trainer Group
Jennifer Buggie – TAP Lead Teacher/ Trainer of Trainer Group
Caroline Conway – TAP Lead Artist/Trainer of Trainer Group
Brid Lawless – TAP Lead Teacher/ Trainer of Trainer Group
Vera McGrath – TAP Lead Artist/Teacher/Trainer of Trainer Group
Susan O’Keeffe – TAP Lead Teacher/Trainer of Trainer Group
Kate Wilson – TAP Lead Artist/Trainer of Trainer Group