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Protestant-Catholic conflict has taken an especially heavy toll. For most children, these visits provide a first-time opportunity to get to know people from the other side of the sectarian divide. In its 27-year existence, Project
Children has had 17,000 participants. Project Children also works with vocational trainees from Northern Ireland and the Republic who get on-site work experience in the U.S. by building homes with Habitat for Humanity.
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in
Belfast and London; barristers and solicitors; university professors and primary school teachers; consultants with Accenture and PriceWaterhouseCoopers; Dublin PR firm managers; assistant to Members of the NI Assembly and the Irish Parliament; political party operatives in Northern Ireland and the Republic; and Executive Officer for the Home Office in London. Among the notable alumni is
228:, between the ages of 18 and 25, and passing their subjects at a better than passing grade. Moreover, they must be willing to demonstrate leadership through service before and after the program, and be ready to participate in diverse leadership teams. Program applicants have represented more than 30 different universities in Northern Ireland, Ireland, England and Scotland.
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To date, 300 young adults have graduated from the program. Many WIP graduates have moved into important careers in politics, business, media and education. These include: a research officer to the NI First
Minister in Westminster; television and radio news journalists; reporters for major newspapers
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The
Washington-Ireland Program is an extension of Project Children, a program that sponsors six-week summer holidays in the U.S. for young people from Northern Ireland. The participants, who stay with American Host Families, range in age from 10–14 years old and come from neighborhoods in which the
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Initially begun in partnership with the
Students' Union at Queen's University, Belfast, WIP has received support from the Irish Government through its Department of Education and the International Fund for Ireland as well as the UK government and the US State Department. The program is now actively
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Since its inception in 1995, the program has expanded from four to eight weeks, allowing time for both leadership training and work experience. Students are placed in offices across the
Washington metropolitan region representing federal and local government, businesses, non-profit organizations,
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Participants develop practical leadership abilities by committing to 30 hours of service in their own communities before the summer and 40 hours in a Group
Service Project when they return. Students also help launch and run the following year's program by assisting with marketing, recruiting,
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and politics and an immersion in
American culture by living with an area host family. Through an eight-week schedule, participants are encouraged to work and learn as a team and to create an environment of mutual respect. The program aims to send students home with enhanced professional and
254:, a mentoring programme for children aged 11–14 years old from across Belfast. The aim of YES is to promote social inclusion of children from different ethnic, religious, educational and socio-economic backgrounds.
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developing partnerships with other government departments, universities, businesses, foundations and individuals that will support its core program and help expand alumni programs.
217:, Library of Congress, Environmental Protection Agency, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, The Justice Project, Imagination Stage and Solas Nua, among many others.
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interpersonal skills and a new confidence in their own leadership abilities which they are expected to demonstrate through service to their own communities. Among the 2007
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Successful candidates must be Irish-born, or Irish or
British (NI) citizens with current passports. They must be full-time students in Ireland or the
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for summer internships and leadership training. The program begins and ends with practical service (usually some form of voluntary work in the
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or political sectors) in
Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It was originally called The Young Leaders Program.
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on 2 June 2017. First openly gay cabinet minister in Ireland and at 38, the youngest ever Taoiseach.
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In 2001, alumni members of the Washington-Ireland Programme established a charity known as the
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professional services firms and media organizations. Placements have included
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Source: Article originally by Simon Lloyd-Lavery, 2006 team member.
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opportunities were placements in the Senate offices of then
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In Washington, participants get first-hand experience with
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221:selecting and mentoring the succeeding WIP class.
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128:) is a six-month program of personal and
108:Learn how and when to remove this message
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342:(Class of 2008), independent MLA for
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46:adding citations to reliable sources
184:was a member of the Class of 2000.
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320:Northern Ireland Executive
122:Washington-Ireland Program
308:Democratic Unionist Party
306:since June 2017, former
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130:professional development
440:Official alumni website
470:Education in Ireland
460:Vocational education
409:References and notes
203:Habitat for Humanity
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465:Internship programs
142:Republic of Ireland
374:(Class of 2016),
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328:(Class of 2006),
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188:About the Program
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382:(2022-2023).
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398:Internship
199:World Bank
162:Internship
134:university
68:newspapers
330:Fine Gael
326:Noel Rock
280:Fine Gael
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