Philosophy 4 Children CPD

Course Overview

This dynamic, two-day classroom ready Philosophy 4 Children course takes an experiential approach, whereby participants will have the opportunity to explore the key features of Philosophy with/for children/young adults and learn about facilitation tools and techniques that lead to fruitful philosophical inquiries. With advice and ideas for stimulus selection, curriculum planning and evaluation this course is especially useful for teachers of all levels. The P4C pedagogy is equally valuable for facilitators, those involved in the youth, community, and facilitation sectors and all are welcome.

For enquiries, please contact Dr Noel Kavanagh at nkavanagh@carlowcollege.ie

Course Facilitators

Carlow College, St. Patrick’s, Philosophy Lecturer Dr Noel Kavanagh and Marelle Rice Director of Philosophy Ireland will facilitate this tailored training:

Noel Kavanagh is a lecturer in Philosophy at the Department of Humanities, Carlow College. His primary area of interest is the concept of love in philosophy and how philosophy expresses itself in popular culture. Current areas of research include, philosophy of the Animal, phenomenological psychology and the interconnections between philosophy, psychoanalysis, and Literature. He is a passionate advocate for philosophy at second level education and a P4C/P4A practitioner and a strong believer in the idea of public philosophy

Marelle Rice has a relentless passion for education and philosophy and has spent two decades embedding philosophical inquiry into her teaching and learning environment. She worked in the UK as Head of Religion, Philosophy and Ethics in both the state and independent sectors and was actively involved in teacher professional development in Philosophy for/with Children (P4C) during this time.

Marelle’s work with the NCCA on the Philosophy Short Course lured her back to Ireland in 2017 and she wears several hats as she supports the development of Philosophical Inquiry and P4C in all areas of the Irish education system.

Co-founder of Philosophy Ireland and Director of The Thinker’s Midwife, Marelle lectures on the PME programme with the School of Education, University College Dublin, and is involved in several educational initiatives there, including the SFI funded project; ‘Girls in DEIS Schools: Changing Attitudes, Impacting Futures in STEM’, which was shortlisted by the Teaching Council for their Teachers Inspire Award for Teacher Collaboration in September 2019. In more recent times, Marelle has turned her attention to educational projects focusing on Cyber Resilience, Digital Technologies, and Global Citizenship Education.