Certificate in Continuing Professional Development in Community Based Mentoring: an evaluation of the pilot initiative

Folan O’Connor, Elizabeth; Ó Súilleabháin, Fiachra; McGovern, Sheila; Leane, Máire

Certificate in Continuing Professional Development in Community Based Mentoring: an evaluation of the pilot initiative

Files

Box-6.-PDF-SOAR-Project-Community-Based-Mentoring-Evaluation-Report.pdf(896.29 KB)

Published Version

Date

2025

Authors

Folan O’Connor, Elizabeth

Ó Súilleabháin, Fiachra

McGovern, Sheila

Leane, Máire

Publisher

SOAR Project, Access UCC, University College Cork

Abstract

In recent decades, there has been a steady reorientation of universities and higher education institutes towards deeper and more meaningful forms of community engagement for the purposes of research and real-world problem solving. Referred to as university–community partnerships, what makes these forms of collaboration unique is that they are mutually beneficial approaches to the creation and exchange of knowledge through a process of co-inquiry and co-learning. The Certificate in Continuing Professional Development in Community Based Mentoring was developed as part of a university–community partnership initiative developed to improve access pathways for education and lifelong learning to under-represented groups in the Cork area. Using a mixed-methods approach to data collection, the purpose of this evaluation was to document and evaluate the unique development process of this university–community cooperative initiative and to gain feedback from the first students.

Keywords

Community engagement , Certificate in Continuing Professional Development , Community Based Mentoring , Under-represented groups in the Cork area

Citation

Folan O’Connor, E., Ó Súilleabháin, F., McGovern, S. and Leane, M. (2025) Certificate in Continuing Professional Development in Community Based Mentoring: an evaluation of the pilot initiative. Cork: SOAR Project, Access UCC, University College Cork.