Students Learning with Communities
The DIT Programme for Students Learning With Communities involves DIT staff and students working with community partners including local groups and not-for-profit organisations, to develop real-life projects. Though relatively new to Ireland, community-based learing, also known as service-learning, has been a growing feature of education internationally for 40 years
Learning comes alive for the students as they work on these projects with real clients, applying their specialist subject skills, and receiving course credits for their work. 
The community becomes part of the teaching process and benefits from the students’ work. These projects give all participants the opportunity to engage in critical thinking and to develop their social awareness. Students Learning With Communities ultimately aims to energise participants to work for social change.
Examples of DIT Students Learning with Communities include:
Tea and Friends -DIT students helped Home-Start Ireland, a voluntary organisation that assists families with young children, to write, edit and design Tea and Friends, a publication documenting the experiences of mothers, fathers and volunteers inloved in Home Start Ireland over the years.
The Lifeline Project -The Lifeline Project is a community organisation based in Grangegorman in Dublin's north inner city. The project is researching new methods to improve community living and wellbeing in the area. So far DIT students from several disciplines including chemistry, spatial planning, sustainale development and architecture have contributed.
For further details on the range of Students Learning with Communities projects click here
