FJI and Leaving Cert Applied Conference

FJI staff were delighted to participate in the Leaving Cert Applied National Association (LCANA) Teachers Conference in Athlone on 27th January.  

The Conference brought together up to 100 LCA Coordinators and Teachers from across the country (we chatted with teachers from Kerry to Donegal) for a lively day of discussion, workshops, and networking.

During the conference, the FJI team distributed our LCA teachers' resources (more below) and were able to recruit teachers for our spring 2024 LCA teacher training workshops.

FJI’s GCE Coordinator, Hilary Darcy said,

‘’The Conference was an invaluable opportunity to have face-to-face time with LCA Coordinators and teachers from around the country, to promote our materials and teacher training activities and to get feedback from the teachers using our resources every day in the classroom.  We will definitely be back next year!’’

LCANA has been a partner of FJI’s for several years now.  The Association was set up in 2002 to promote and support the role of the LCA Coordinators, teachers and to facilitate cooperation between members of the Association and interested bodies for the ongoing growth and development of the Leaving Certificate Applied.

At FJI we have been working on developing teachers’ resources and providing teacher training for the LCA sector for a number of years, and the Association is a natural ally to our work.  This year, we’re delighted to welcome LCANA executive committee chairperson Jerome Chambers, to speak at our online workshops regarding the history, aims, and successes of the Association.

Upcoming LCA workshops

We’re looking forward to welcoming many of the LCA Coordinators and teachers that we met at the Conference at our upcoming teacher training workshops, which will include plenty of space for discussion and peer learning 

Workshop 1  will focus on our LCA Social Education and will be held online 4.30-6pm on Tuesday 5th March 2024. More information and registration here.

Workshop 2 will focus on our LCA Maths resource and will be held online 4.30-6pm on Wednesday 13th March 2024. More information and registration here. 

Both workshops will be delivered by our GCE coordinator, Hilary Darcy.  As well as taking part in participatory and fun workshops, participants will also be provided with certificates that can count towards Croke Park hours.

In relation to the LCANA Conference and our upcoming teacher training workshops, FJI Director Thomas Mc Donagh commented that,

‘’At FJI, Leaving Cert Applied is a strategic priority for our secondary school work. With partners in the sector, we are working to ensure that everyone has access to quality global citizenship education for economic and financial justice.  As was reflected very strongly at the national conference in Athlone, the work of LCA Coordinators and teachers is deeply rooted in the realities and needs of their local communities and it’s a privilege for us to be able to provide support and tools for critical analysis to such committed educators’’.

Our LCA Resources: 

For LCA Social Education we have a Teacher's Activity Guide and an accompanying Student Workbook:

These resources aim to prepare LCA Social Education students to engage with issues relevant to them that impact their community, country, and the wider world. They are free to download from our website and hard copies can be posted to schools on request. 

For LCA Maths we have a Teachers’ Resource for Leaving Cert Applied Mathematical applications.

Again, the resource aligns with and supports curriculum learning outcomes. The activities included are rooted in our GCE approach and reflect our subject expertise and focus on matters of financial justice. It is free to download from our website and hard copies can be posted to schools on request. 

Don’t hesitate to contact us about any of the above.  If you’re an LCA Coordinator or teacher we’d love to hear from you. You can email us at education@financialjustice.ie