Wellbeing: a post-primary priority

An event showcasing innovative and practical approaches to wellbeing in post-primary education took place in Cork recently.

The event, titled Thriving Together: A Comprehensive Approach to Wellbeing in Post-Primary Education, was held at the Cork Education Support Centre (CESC).

It was delivered by staff from MTU Kerry North Campus and brought together teachers and school leaders to explore practical wellbeing strategies, including the use of role playing games to support empathy and student engagement in schools.

The programme featured three presentations focused on student and staff wellbeing. Marian Landers delivered Student Wellbeing & Coaching Approaches, outlining practical strategies to support student wellbeing, resilience, and independent learning.

This was followed by Donal O’Mahony, Deputy Principal at Christian Brothers College, who presented Elevating Excellence: Building High Performance Culture & Leadership Capacity in Secondary Schools, focusing on leadership approaches to staff wellbeing and sustaining positive school cultures.

The final session, delivered by Emer Thompson and Dr Kristin Brogan, introduced participants to Role-Playing Games for Empathy Development. The session explored the use of role-playing games (RPGs) as innovative tools to support empathy development, student engagement, and social-emotional learning in post-primary education. Participants were introduced to the EuLabRPG toolkit, project materials, and website, and were encouraged to pilot the RPG in their own schools.

Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, with high levels of satisfaction reported across all sessions. Almost 70% of attendees indicated they would use the EuLabRPG materials, and many expressed interest in sharing the approach with colleagues.

Reflecting on the event, Edmond Hussey, director of CESK, said: “We were delighted to host the EuLabRPG Multiplier Event at Cork Education Support Centre, where innovative ideas for student well-being and engagement took centre stage. A special thank you to Emer Thompson and Dr Kristin Brogan from MTU Kerry for their inspiring presentation on Role-Playing Games for Empathy Development. Their work highlights how creativity and collaboration can transform learning experiences.”

The event also prompted discussion around the potential application of the EuLabRPG approach within the primary school sector. Emer Thompson and Dr Kristin Brogan will engage with Léargas, Ireland’s national agency for Erasmus+, to seek guidance on possible next steps.