May 2017 Five NUI Galway Students Awarded Volunteering Scholarships

Five NUI Galway students have been successfully selected to take part in an eight week international volunteering and cultural immersion programme this summer. The programme is funded by Experiment Intercultural Learning (EIL) and Irish Aid. The students will be prepared and supported to volunteer in local community projects in Africa, Asia and South America.

NUI Galway students Danielle O’Brien, Sinead Regan, Aaron Kilboy, David O'Reilly and Orla Tubridy have all been awarded scholarship. The EIL Explore programme provides 39 awards to Irish residents interested in volunteering, cultural immersion, or language education abroad. This year EIL Intercultural Learning is allocating a budget over €120,000 to fund these overseas learning opportunities.

David O’Reilly from Bishopstown, Co. Cork is a second year mature student of Creative Writing in the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies. David will be travelling to Vietnam in June teaching English in a school.

Sinead Regan from Gort, Co Galway, is a second year mature student of Biomedical Science. Sinead will be travelling to Mexico. Also from Co. Galway, Aaron Kilboy is in his final year of Financial Mathematics and & Economics. Aaron will also be travelling to Mexico in June.

Orla Tubridy from Mullingar, Co. Westmeath is a final year Arts student studying French and English. Orla will be travelling to Ecuador. Danielle O’Brien from Birr, Co. Offaly will also be travelling to Ecuador.

Trish Bourke, NUI Galway’s Mature Students Officer said: “EIL Explore is a fantastic opportunity for students, particularly mature students, which have a real appetite for international travel. This is about being with a local community overseas and working together on environmental, arts, sports, health and education projects, over a long-term partnership.”

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