Saint Patrick Centre - Young Ambassador Program

The 2009 Young Ambassador Program

‘Young Ambassador Programme ’09 is a Knockout’

The Young Ambassador Programme for 2009 was launched in February and our Friends Chapters got busy making young people within their communities aware of the opportunity, as well as advertising and writing features in local newspapers which directed applicants to our website. This year the application process received hundreds of hopefuls who were divided into Chapter areas and sent back to our Friends for scrutiny and evaluation. The lucky few who made it to the interviewing process were reviewed and the very best chosen to represent their Chapter in Northern Ireland.

This year the format changed: the Saint Patrick Centre was the sole funder of the Programme and with this considerable cutback we changed the dates from July to June, when flights were less expensive, changed venue from Belfast to the sleepy seaside town of Dundrum, shortened the stay by a few days and provided shared accommodation. Young Ambassadors were placed with local organisations in and around Downpatrick and the result was a powerful community based and cohesive group who excelled at their placements and won the hearts of everyone they met.

The Ambassadors were Mame Croze from Washington DC, Meghan Davy (Minnesota Chapter) from Saint Paul,Allie Donnegan (Minnesota Chapter) from Eagan Minnesota, Maren Hagman (Minnesota Chapter) from Grand Rapids, Minnesota, Bobby Hamill (Milwaukee Chapter) from Milwaukee, Jim McLaughlin (Milwaukee Chapter) from Chicago, Kyle O’Brien (La Crosse Chapter) from La Crosse, Bridget Ward (Milwaukee Chapter) from Milwaukee and Kathryn Whipple (Milwaukee Chapter) from Bedford Indiana.

The Young Ambassadors stayed at the Dundrum Bay Holiday Homes on the edge of Dundrum Bay in the shadow of the famous Mountains of Mourne and some 6 miles from Downpatrick. They arrived on the first of June and quickly established a strong relationship with local people. Internship- like placements quickly started which were designed to be suited to individual interests and local Friends welcomed the Young Ambassadors with a Bar-b-que evening on their first night.

Bridget Ward, a full time teacher, worked with local schools to create a thematic schedule of work for elementary schools who want to teach about Saint Patrick which included teaching ideas, local images, maths worksheets, scripts and an introduction to reconciliation for grades 1-3.This will be made available on our website.

Based on the interests and full-time work of Mame Croze in Washington DC, she was placed with the National Trust at Castle Ward and Rowallane who looked after her incredibly well and involved Mame in their works of conservation, grounds maintenance, education, administration, events and visitor services.The National Trust were also kind enough to provide a day trip to the Argory, Castle Coole and Devenish Island which gave everyone an insight into their important work for which we were most grateful to Barbara Muhly and her team.

Kate Whipple and Maren Hagman worked with the Ulster- Scots Agency, under the guidance of Maynard Hanna, who helped them to understand the culture and language of the Ulster Scots in Northern Ireland. Kate’s multi-lingual skills helped her to form a considerable appreciation of the linguistics of the Ulster Scot and Maren examined the impact of the Plantation of Ulster and its legacy on the linguistic patterns which developed and presented this in a very scholarly project.

Kyle O’Brien and Bobby Hamill were fortunate enough to work in local politician’s offices – Bobby with Minister Margaret Ritchie and Kyle with local Member of Parliament Eddie McGrady. Both went to Stormont and even experienced a local By-election. Kyle provided a most insightful on-line diary of the experience, whilst Bobby produced a report on reconciliation and conflict in Northern Ireland.

Young Ambassadors visit Stormont Parliament Buildings and meet Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness. Jim McLaughlin and Meghan Davy worked for the Down Recorder newspaper – which provided an immediate and extremely insightful view of the local community in this part of Northern Ireland. Allie Donnegan worked with the Down Volunteer Bureau to examine their healing through remembering and other programs to provide a project on how non-profits influence the peace process in Northern Ireland. We are very grateful to the Bureau and all of those people who offered their time and services to engage with the Young Ambassadors this year and to the young people themselves. We feel it was a very positive year, the start of an extremely productive format and I know that they will all be excellent representatives of all of the cultures and traditions in Northern Ireland.

The 2008 Young Ambassador Program
In August 2008 the Ulster Scots Agency and Foras na Gaeilge partnered with the Saint Patrick Centre to bring 12 ‘Young Ambassadors’ to Northern Ireland. The concept was to select young people with an interest in the Ulster Scots culture/traditions and the Irish language to become future representatives of the respective Agencies throughout America. Young Ambassadors would promote, contribute and work on behalf of the Ulster Scots Agency, Foras na Gaeilge and the Saint Patrick Centre at events and festivals when required throughout their lives. They would grow awareness of all of the traditions of Northern Ireland internationally and develop on-going links with their respective agencies. The promotion, launch, administration and initial whittling down of the 2,000 applicants in America (from 28 States) was done by the Friends of Saint Patrick organisation, which has a growing group of ‘Chapters’ set up by the Saint Patrick Centre to promote the people and cultures of Northern Ireland. The Friends groups provide a potential forum for future Ulster Scots and Foras na Gaelige activities all over North America and ensure that, despite being 3,000 miles away, Young Ambassadors seek opportunities to promote the Agencies and continually fulfil their obligations over time.

Four Young Ambassadors were chosen by each organisation. The Ulster Scots Agency chose four 4 elementary teachers who were shortlisted from the considerable number of applicants to the Programme from 28 States. The four came from the final selections of the Friends groups in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Arizona.

The Young Ambassadors stayed for three weeks at Queens University in July 2008. The Ulster Scots Young Ambassadors attended the Scarva Sham Fight, spoke on numerous radio programs including BBC radio Ulster and fUSE FM, met Lord Laird and visited Orange Halls and exhibitions. They attended numerous summer schools, received lessons on the Lambeg Drum and fife as well as the Ulster Scots Language with Gary Blair, Mark Anderson and George Holmes. They visited the Boyne, Drogheda, Kilkeel, Ballymena, Ballymoney and Slemish with representatives from the Agency. The Foras na Gailege Young Ambassadors visited An Gaelaras in Derry/Londonderry, the Aisling Ghear Theatre Company and Culturlaan in west Belfast, the McCracken School in north Belfast, appeared on Radio Failte, Radio Foyle and Irish language Programmes on BBC Northern Ireland. They interviewed representatives from POBAL, worked with the Foras office in Belfast and Dublin the ILBF, learnt about Irish language broadcasting and its growing audiences and even appeared in the popular Television serial Seacht as extras.

With the wider group the Young Ambassadors met the Lord Mayor of Belfast, the First and Deputy First Ministers (who very much endorsed the Program) and the President of the Republic of Ireland. The Young Ambassadors spoke about what they had learnt and performed at the final evening of their stay during a farewell concert at the Saint Patrick Centre which was broadcast live via the internet to a sizable audience in North America.

Outputs to Date

Ulster Scots
Jolene Connelly, a music teacher from Pennsylvania plans to bring Ulster Scots culture to the US through an assembly program for school aged students. Jolene helped with the promotion of the Ulster Scots at the Celtic Classic in Bethlehem Pennsylvania in September 2008 and plans to represent the Agency at future events.

Katie Gieseke, is moving from Minnesota to Arizona where she will teach primary aged pupils on aspects of Ulster Scots literature, drama, dance and history and hold an Ulster Scots festival. She represented the Agency at the Minnesota Irish Fair in August 2008 and lectured on her experience.

Caitlin Ward is an event management Major at the University of Central Florida and will spread knowledge of Ulster Scots in festivals throughout the United States. She created and manned the first Ulster Scots booth at Milwaukee Irish Fest in August 2008 – the largest Irish festival in the world founded by her father Ed Ward. She also lectured on her experience at the Festival and subsequent meetings. She hopes to make the Ulster Scots a key partner in Milwaukee every year, where interest is growing in the Agency.

Brook Ferguson is a trainee teacher in Northern Arizona and is planning classes around her experience with the Ulster Scots. She has written for the Ulster Scot and plans to develop her new bond with the Agency and encourage others to become interested in Ulster Scots Culture.

Foras na Gaeilge

	Gregory Long, an anthropology major and international relations political science minor at Beloit College in Wisconsin, provided a project on Irish language and its application in the north of Ireland in the 21st Century. He manned a stand to represent Foras na Gaeilge at Irish Fair Minnesota in August 08 and Milwaukee Irish Fest August 08 where he presented two lectures about his project. He will continue to build on his interest and work for Foras in the Wisconsin area.

Norah Carroll is a National Merit Commended Scholar studying languages Journalism and Mass Communication at Drake University Des Moines, Iowa. She provided a project on Irish-Language Journalism in Northern Ireland and the Preservation and Promotion of Irish as a Growing Language. She manned a stand to represent Foras na Gaeilge at Irish Fair Minnesota in August 08 and Milwaukee Irish Fest August 08 where she presented two lectures about her project. She will continue to work for Foras in the Iowa area

Elizabeth Nelson is a Fulbright scholar and final year graduate in Political Science and Global Studies at the University of Minnesota in Saint Paul with a linguistic background. She has provided a project on the relationship between the Irish language in arts and culture and the State. She manned a stand to represent Foras na Gaeilge at Irish Fair Minnesota in August 08 where she presented two lectures about her project. Elizabeth also attended Milwaukee Irish Fest to represent Foras in August 08. She will continue to work for Foras in the Saint Paul area and build her linguistic skills with Failte Minnesota.

Colleen White is an undergraduate Linguistics Major and Irish Studies Minor at Boston College. She has provided a project on Irish language in traditional songs relating to Ulster and worked with Culturlann to produce a CD. She manned a stand to represent Foras na Gaeilge at Irish Fair Minnesota in August 08 where she presented two lectures about her project. Elizabeth also attended Milwaukee Irish Festival to represent Foras in August 08. She will continue to work for Foras in the Boston area.