Global Action Plan Ireland

This week, thousands of athletes, families, volunteers and supporters will come together for the 2026 Special Olympics Ireland Summer Games.

At GAP, we believe that life isn't about winning and out-doing others. Rather, it's about being there, taking part, supporting one another, and being part of something bigger.

We believe meaningful change happens when everyone has the opportunity to participate.

Through the ChangeABLE project, we're exploring how communities and organisations can remove barriers and create more inclusive opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities.

Find out more via https://changeableproject.eu

Special Olympics Ireland
Prosper Fingal
InEuropa - Finanziamenti Europei

We’re excited to be part of ChangeABLE, a new Erasmus+ project promoting inclusive climate action and valuing the involvement of people with disabilities in developing climate solutions.

Climate change affects everyone, but not everyone is affected in the same way. Through training, advocacy, collaboration and community engagement, ChangeABLE will promote the active role of people with disabilities in climate action.

Over the next three years, GAP will work with our partners in Italy and Germany will to:
✅ Develop personalised learning programmes;
✅ Support advocacy campaigns for inclusive climate action;
✅ Promote dialogue and participation;
✅ Create practical resources and guidelines for organizations across Europe.

Our Climate, Our Change.

Find out more via https://changeableproject.eu


agado - Gesellschaft für nachhaltige Entwicklung
InEuropa - Finanziamenti Europei
COOPATTIVA
Prosper Fingal
reha e.v.

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Are you looking for practical, inspiring CPD that you can use in your classroom straight away?

GAP Ireland-supported Outdoor Learning & Forest School EPV Courses are now open for booking in , and this summer.

Join fellow primary teachers for hands-on professional development that will help you:
🌿 Bring learning outdoors with confidence
📚 Deliver curriculum-linked activities across SESE, Maths, Literacy and Wellbeing;
🤝 Explore engaging, child-centred approaches to teaching and learning;
💡 Build a bank of practical ideas you can use from day one.

These highly interactive courses are designed by experienced outdoor educators and give you the opportunity to experience outdoor learning for yourself while gaining valuable skills and resources for your teaching practice.

✅ Approved for EPV Days
✅ Practical and curriculum-focused
✅ Suitable for teachers with all levels of outdoor learning experience

Places fill quickly each year, so early booking is recommended.

📍 Dublin: https://bit.ly/CPD_nature
📍 Galway: https://tinyurl.com/GECoutdoored
📍 Waterford: https://tinyurl.com/wtcepv2026

We are so excited to announce that we've got ‼️ limited scholarships ‼️ available for the Active Hope Facilitator Training Programme!!

Please share with anyone who might be a good fit, and re-post/share with other groups and networks!

⏰ Scholarship application deadline: 30th June ⏰

🌿 Active Hope + Work That Reconnects (WTR) Facilitator Training
📍 South Galway | 📅 Sept 2026 – May 2027

Delivered by Project Mobilise and Chris Johnstone, alongside a rich team of co-facilitators and guest teachers. And proudly supported by GAP and Community Foundation Ireland .

The journey blends monthly in-person gatherings with online learning, peer practice groups, and 1:1 mentoring — creating a deeply supportive and immersive learning environment.

Designed for those engaged in and across Ireland and Northern Ireland, the programme offers a space to learn & explore how to share the practices of Active Hope and the Work That Reconnects in a relevant and meaningful way.

👇 Learn more & apply:
https://www.projectmobilise.com/about/facilitator-training

Check out GAP’s new resource for Misinformation: Six Thinking Hats! Explore real-life examples misinformation from different angles - recommended for classes in CSPE, SPHE, Climate Action and Computer Science.

Developed with funding from Worldwise Global Schools.

Download here: https://tinyurl.com/gapmisinfo2026

A record 71,000 students across Ireland are sitting the exams this year.

But there is one question that should be on all our minds, not just theirs:

If you had to take a climate exam today, would you pass?

https://globalactionplan.ie/blogs/as-students-sit-the-leaving-cert-gap-ireland-asks/

Resilient communities don’t happen by accident; they’re built through trust, connection and collective action.

Read this article on the EESC website, reflecting on GAP's work supporting community-led responses to climate and social challenges, and how we build on solidarity and cooperation to create the conditions for real change.

See: https://www.eesc.europa.eu/en/news-media/articles/reflections-civil-society-partners-building-resilient-communities-4

From 8–14 June, Hedgehog Conservation Ireland are asking people across the country to keep an eye out for , and record any sightings to help researchers better understand Ireland's hedgehog population.

Look for hedgehogs in your garden, local park, green spaces or woodland, especially around dusk. Whether you spot a hedgehog alive or dead, every record helps.

NB: Please observe hedgehogs from a distance, do not handle them or disturb nests, take care when out after dark, and respect private property.

Find out more and submit your sightings at IrishHedgehogSurvey.com.