IRISH SCHOOL GIVES HOODIES A NEW IMAGE

SECONDARY school students in South Dublin who engaged with their community to tackle the negative perceptions of hoodies have been praised.
A group of school goers in their second year at Moyle Park College in Clondalkin were recognised recently for their 'Heroes in Hoodies' project, which addressed the misconception of youths in the much maligned clothing.
The schoolboys between the ages of 13 and 14 created a social event for the elderly at their local active retirement club and presented them with hoodies that they had designed themselves.
The pupils were joined by over 300 of their peers from Dublin and around the country as their community service work was recognised at the 'Localise' graduation awards in DIT Kevin Street.
They wanted to demonstrate to their elderly neighbours that they had nothing to fear from groups of school kids, many of whom wear the hooded items of clothing, which are synonymous with antisocial behaviour.
Gary Kelly, a civics, social and political education teacher at Moyle Park College School, was responsible for guiding the schoolboys through the project.
He said that unlike the school curriculum, which is generally taught in the classroom, the scheme enabled young people to participate directly in life in the community.
He explained why the schoolboys felt it was important to tackle the negative stereotypes associated with hoodies.
"As part of the Localise programme we came up with the idea of improving the image of our school in the local community," he said. "Not that the image is bad, but the school is right in the middle of the village and at three o'clock the students leave here in a hurry and some of them would have the hoodies up.
"Apparently some elderly people would stay at home at that time as there might be five or six hundred young boys walking home.
"The idea of the slogan 'Hoodies for Heroes' came from the fact that hoodies are nothing to be afraid of. We wanted to turn it on its head and rather than the young person wearing the hoodie, it would be the old person.
"I was worried that when the lads met them that they would scatter into groups of five or six and not engage with the elderly people," he added. "But it was interesting to see that they went off and sat down and talked to individual people. It worked both ways and both groups really engaged. There was a positive vibe in the room."
The Localise Community Service Learning Programme directly engages young people aged 13 and over in positive community work in their local areas.
According to Derek Cleary, the director of Localise, the impact of such awards is significant, not only to the schools, but also to the community that the school is part of.
"The Localise programme has proved to be a practical way for these teenagers to take an active role in the service of their community while learning key planning and organisational skills," he said.