Equity in Education Fund 2022-2025 Inviting Applications

Posted on 24 Feb 2022

The Equity in Education Fund supports equal access to education for young people from minority groups experiencing disadvantage.

What is the Equity in Education Fund?

The “Equity in Education Fund” aims to support not-for-profit organisations working to enhance access to education for young people experiencing educational disadvantage based on their cultural identity or geographical location. Many students from vulnerable, minority communities and students living in poverty face a greater degree of educational disadvantage when compared to young people in the general population. Students who leave school early are much less likely to find well-paying jobs, and are at more risk of poverty as access to education is heavily linked to socioeconomic status.

Recognising the critical role education plays in the social and economic lives of young people in Ireland, this Fund will support not-for-profit organisations focused on enhancing educational engagement and improving formal and non-formal educational outcomes for young people from Traveller, Roma and Migrant/Refugee backgrounds as well as those experiencing rural disadvantage.

Specifically, this Fund will support projects that offer innovative solutions to socio-economic disadvantages that impact education. The fund will:

  • Support young people experiencing marginalisation with greater access to education at second level
  • Support young people facing intersecting disadvantages to engage in formal and non-formal education. Non-formal education refers to education that occurs outside the formal school system for eg: participating in forums and chat rooms, performance support, coaching sessions and games
  • Support young people to become leaders in their communities

This is a three-year €1,250,000 fund created by Rethink Ireland in partnership with a private donor and the Department of Rural and Community Development via the Dormant Accounts Fund.

You can apply to The Equity in Education Fund via the online application form from Thursday 17 February 2022 to Thursday 24 March at 5pm. Please join Rethink Ireland for application clinics on 3 March and 16 March to find out more and answer any questions that you have.

Full details 

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