Knowledge For Change

K4C EMERGE BIP Residential - Exploring how community - university collaborations can contribute to positive impact

Following a 12-week online programme with 50 senior academics from 14 countries in Autumn 2024, participants were invited to visit the University of Limerick for a week-long residential capstone to the programme in January 2025. 

UL Engage Annual Report Launch

The report provides details for 52 engaged projects, partnerships and initiatives focusing on community engaged learning and/or community-engaged research with local, national and international partners. It lists 93 partners, including community and voluntary organisations, statutory organisations, schools and universities collaborating with 28 UL departments and units, resulting in more than 77 collaborative partnerships.

K4C/UL Engage Mentors Meet 

• Share and exchange information and support for UL engaged initiatives.
• Provide an identified contact for members of their faculty interested in designing and/or developing community engaged learning or engaged research projects.
• Provide support to engagement elements of research project design and/or community engaged learning.
• Assist in the profiling of engaged scholarship in their faculty.

• Develop their own expertise in Community Engaged Learning and/or Engaged Research.  

  https://www.ul.ie/engage/knowledge-for-change-k4c-for-kids 

CWELL Magazine Jan/Feb 

Since its establishment in September 2018, the CWELL magazine has evolved into a regular and professionally produced source for community-university information exchange. The CWELL magazine is produced five times a year and delivered, in hard copy or soft copy, to 250+ CWELL stakeholders including CWELL students past and present, community allies and UL staff.  

Front Cover:  
Nollaig Na mBan celebrations in St. Munchin’s Community Centre 

K4C-4- for Kids commences 

A junior researcher training programme for 11–13-year-olds co-designed and delivered with the SFI Research Centre SSPC, St. Mary’s National School and Our Lady of Lourdes National School.

https://www.ul.ie/engage/knowledge-for-change-k4c-for-kids 

K4C Community Engaged Research Workshop- Limerick Lifelong Learning Festival 

As part of the Festival, the UL Engage team delivered a workshop on Engaged Research in the Community – Getting Started.  For community members and organisations interested in undertaking research in their communities, this interactive workshop explained the principles and values of engaged research, as well as key methods used in this type of research. Participants also heard from community members who have taken part in engaged research projects. Tea & Coffee provided. Hosted by UL Engage, CWELL 

K4C for Kids – Exhibition of Children’s projects 

Following the ten-week programme the children present their research posters in UL. 

CWELL Community Energy Coaches Project Launch 

Sponsored by PAUL Partnership Limerick, this project developed the role of Community Energy Coaches to support communities to learn about their energy use and become more energy efficient and to live more sustainable lives. CWELL students completed community consultations and a survey to understand what local communities already know about energy saving and how they would like to interact with the Community Energy Coaches. The results of this research will inform PAUL Partnership’s design and delivery of the programme. 

CWELL Magazine Mar / April 

Front Cover:  
Performance of ‘Club 27’, a play written and directed by First Year CWELL student Sharon Bromwell.  Photo courtesy of Alan Place 

UL Citizens' Assembly 

Each year, as part of UL Research Week, 100+ Limerick people participate in the UL Citizens’ Assembly to select three UL engaged research projects aimed at developing a more sustainable future for the city and region. This community university event is a collaboration between Limerick PPN, CNN and LCEN. Having listened to nine project presentations, Limerick citizens vote for the top three projects which each received €10,000 to make their idea happen. https://ulcitizensassembly.ie/

CWELL King’s Island Folklore Commission Project Launch 

A collaboration between students at UL, Discover Limerick DAC, schools, and local storytellers, project collected, recorded and archived the local history of the King’s Island community. The group's name emerged from a recognition that the Irish state's landmark folklore Commission of the 1930s only gathered stories from rural communities. By focusing on King's Island, the group addressed this absence in Irish folklore history and encouraged participation across the generations, engaging with key cultural institutions such as King John’s Castle, the King’s Island Community Centre, and local businesses. 

UL Engage visit to K4C Nelson Mandela University 

As part of the expanding collaboration under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha, South Africa and University of Limerick (UL), Maura, Niamh and Tracey from the UL Engage team were delighted to visit their ‘UL Engage twin’ in Nelson Mandela University to share, strengthen and grow existing links in community engaged learning and community-based research. 

CWELL Magazine May / June

Front Cover: Pupils from Thomond and St. Mary’s National Schools, equipped with protective bee keeping suits, get up close with the bees in King’s Island. 

EMERGE Alliance Launch

Empowering the Margins of Europe through Regional and Global Engagement (EMERGE) is a transformative initiative that reimagines the future of higher education through deep transnational collaboration, inclusion, and innovation. It brings together nine universities from eight countries. Coordinated by UL, the alliance is united by a shared commitment to build a more connected and inclusive European future through education that transcends borders and empowers communities. 

CWELL Interviews and Recruitment for AY25/26 

The CWELL diploma offers a community co-authored curriculum, to address community-identified needs in communities experiencing severe socio-economic disadvantage 

UL Citizens’ Assembly Winners: PRIME Project Launch 

With the support of Limerick City and County Council, 6 local DEIS primary schools have partnered with the PRIME project team, to develop a CBPR project to assess children’s basic skills – physical, cognitive, and social – at school entry and in the first years of primary school through a series of interactive games that take place in the school during the school day. Such information is vital for understanding developmental variations, as well as well as the planning and execution of school activities for better developmental progression.

CWELL Graduating Class 23-25 

CWELL Diploma Start of Term

Are You Ready For Engaged Research?

Thursday 18 September 10-11.30am. Hosted by The Wheel, in collaboration with the Health Research Charities Ireland and UL Engage, this online workshop provided and introduction to engaged research to 50+ community organisations who expressed an interest in further training for engaged research.

Call for Expressions of Interest UL Citizens' Assembly 2026 

Community Comhrá

An opportunity for community partners and UL staff to meet and find out about UL engagement in research, teaching and volunteering. A chance for coffee and conversation. To register please e-mail ulengage@ul.ie

CWELL Magazine September / October

UL Engage Annual Report Call For Submissions 

K4C for Kids receives UNESCO ‘International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development’ endorsement 

A dynamic half-day event bringing together community representatives and researchers to explore how collaboration can create more meaningful, impactful research. 

CWELL Magazine Nov / Dec