Narrative 4 Empathy Education "EMPATHY education is needed in our secondary schools to help our young people develop into caring, happy successful adults," says Dr Sara Jane Flynn, a senior child and educational psychologist who has recently joined the team at Narrative 4 Ireland. The registered Irish charity replicated a US model of empathy education in 2016 and have been rolling it out in Ireland since. The registered Irish charity trains and supports post-primary school teachers and youth workers to deliver the programme to young people. Vital life skills "We train educators to deliver the Story Exchange programme, which is a circle based activity that can be delivered in any classroom. It takes 10 CPD hours online to train and then they have access to a facilitator toolkit, lesson plans and recognised by NCCA junior cycle unit. We also run regular support
and mentoring sessions for practitioners". Empathy education cultivates vital life skills in young people. It increases awareness of diversity, improves social skills and gives young people a sense of belonging. The young people who take part in the Story Exchange learn to connect with their peers in a unique manner. A student who took part in the programme from the Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh echoed these sentiments when she said: "I learned that everyone is vulnerable at times and everyone is going through something similar. After going through the N4 Programme, I am definitely more open to telling people how I feel. I realised that people are there to get you through hard times and are here to listen to you." The Story Exchange is an evidence-based wellbeing tool that can be utilised in the classroom to cultivate kindness and peer support. A Yale Study in 2016 found that stu-
"I learned that everyone is vulnerable at times and everyone is going through something similar"
"It can form part of a JCSE program, RSE at the upper levels, supporting integration and connection of first years, supporting disenfranchised groups within the school community and many more"
"Stories can shape our future with research showing that telling stories of struggles that turn out well can give people the hope they need" A central part of the Story Exchange is developing listening skills
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dents in US schools that ran the N4 programme felt more accepted, cheerful and confident than schools not running the programmes. 1 There was also a noted decrease in bullying in the N4 Schools. Caoimhe Lillis trained as Story Exchange facilitator in 2018, while working as a secondary school teacher. "The Story Exchange programme hits 7 of the key skills and 5 of the wellbeing indicators in the new Junior Cycle. 2&3 Students really connected over exchanging stories and we all saw each other in a new light." Increasing skill competence of teachers Our contemporary post primary curriculum is no longer solely an academic one, teachers are now expected to have the social and emotional welfare of their students as much in mind as academic targets and exam preparation. The Narrative 4 training programme which includes a module on skilful interventions supports the development of key facilitation skills which make up the teachers toolbox and increases teachers' competence in supporting ever increasingly important areas such as attachment friendly practices and supporting young people with ACES (adverse childhood experiences). The need to facilitate conversations which require more than the traditional didactic method is growing and with the new Relationships and Sexual education module on the horizon which will be informed by a more holistic approach to the topic, teachers will benefit from the skills gained in facilitating conversations rather than leading them.
