Clare Education Centre

Official Organisation Name
Clare Education Centre
Address
Government Buildings, Kilrush Road, Ennis, Co. Clare
City & Country
Ennis, Ireland
type of organisation
Education Centre

Organisation overview
Clare Education Centre is one of a national network of 21 full-time Education Centres in Ireland, and we are committed to supporting teachers, school leaders, and school communities across County Clare and beyond. Our mission is to provide high-quality, needs-led professional learning that has a meaningful impact on teaching, learning, and assessment practices in primary and post-primary schools.
We work with over 130 schools and thousands of educators each year, offering a wide range of workshops, seminars, webinars, school-based supports, and national projects. Collaboration, inclusion, innovation, integrity, and community underpin everything we do, and we place a strong emphasis on teacher leadership, pupil voice, and authentic partnership with local, national, and international organisations.
We have extensive expertise in STEAM education, digital learning, school leadership, Irish language initiatives, creativity and the arts, climate education, and Erasmus+ international cooperation. Through this work, we lead and contribute to innovative initiatives—such as the PROTECT Project—that enable schools to engage in meaningful, future-focused learning. We are proud to play a central role in strengthening educational practice and fostering sustainable improvement across Clare’s schools.
Role in the PROTECT Project
Clare Education Centre is the lead partner in the PROTECT project, responsible for overall coordination, partner communication, project planning, and ensuring high-quality delivery across all work packages. We support participating schools through professional learning, resource development, and guidance on implementing pupil-led climate action projects. CEC also leads on hosting transnational meetings, facilitating collaboration between partners, and disseminating project outcomes across Ireland through our national networks.
Our contribution draws on extensive expertise in STEAM education, climate education, digital learning, pupil-led inquiry, and teacher professional development. The PROTECT project aligns closely with our organisational aims: to provide high-quality supports that meaningfully enhance teaching, learning, and assessment, and to promote innovation, sustainability, and active pupil engagement. By empowering schools to explore climate challenges through inquiry, creativity, and STEAM approaches, PROTECT strengthens our mission to support impactful, future-focused learning across Clare and beyond.
EU / International Project Experience
Clare Education Centre is an Erasmus Accredited consortium lead with a long and successful history of participation in Erasmus+ projects, demonstrating our commitment to high-quality professional development and international collaboration. Previous initiatives such as STEAMING, RECEPTION and RECIPE have provided significant benefits for Clare schools, enriching teachers’ pedagogical approaches, subject knowledge, and classroom practice. These projects also supported the development of high-quality teaching resources—lesson plans, digital tools, and classroom materials—that are now widely used across our schools.
Our Erasmus+ engagements have fostered strong connections and shared learning with educators across Europe. These experiences have deepened professional dialogue, introduced new perspectives, and strengthened collaborative practice. As a consortium lead, we have also cultivated long-term partnerships with European institutions, enabling sustained knowledge exchange and the development of innovative, future-focused educational practices that continue to benefit teachers and learners in Clare.
Official Organisation Name
Ionad Oideachais an Chláir
Address
Oifigí an Rialtais, Bóthar Chill Rois, Inis, Co. an Chláir
City & Country
Inis, Éire
type of organisation
Education Centre

Organisation overview
Tá Ionad Oideachais an Chláir ar cheann de líonra náisiúnta de 21 Ionad Oideachais lánaimseartha in Éirinn, agus táimid tiomanta do thacaíocht a thabhairt do mhúinteoirí, do cheannairí scoile, agus do phobail scoile ar fud Chontae an Chláir agus níos faide i gcéin. Is é ár misean foghlaim ghairmiúil ardchaighdeáin, atá dírithe ar riachtanais, a chur ar fáil a bhfuil tionchar suntasach aici ar chleachtais teagaisc, foghlama agus measúnaithe i mbunscoileanna agus in iar-bhunscoileanna.
Oibríonn muid le breis is 130 scoil agus na mílte oideachasóir gach bliain, ag tairiscint réimse leathan ceardlann, seimineár, seimineár gréasáin, tacaíochtaí scoile-bhunaithe, agus tionscadal náisiúnta. Tá comhoibriú, cuimsiú, nuálaíocht, ionracas agus pobal mar bhonn agus taca ag gach rud a dhéanann muid, agus cuireann muid béim láidir ar cheannaireacht múinteoirí, guth na ndaltaí, agus comhpháirtíocht iontaofa le heagraíochtaí áitiúla, náisiúnta agus idirnáisiúnta.
Tá cuid mhór saineolais againn in oideachas STEAM, foghlaim dhigiteach, ceannaireacht scoile, tionscnaimh Ghaeilge, cruthaitheacht agus na healaíona, oideachas aeráide, agus comhoibriú idirnáisiúnta Erasmus+. Tríd an obair seo, treoraíonn muid agus cuireann muid le tionscnaimh nuálacha—cosúil leis an tionscadal PROTECT—a chuireann ar chumas scoileanna páirt a ghlacadh i bhfoghlaim bhríoch atá dírithe ar an todhchaí. Táimid bródúil as ról lárnach a bheith againn i neartú cleachtais oideachais agus i gcothú feabhsúcháin inbhuanaithe ar fud scoileanna an Chláir.
Role in the PROTECT Project
Is é Ionad Oideachais an Chláir an príomhpháirtí sa tionscadal PROTECT, atá freagrach as comhordú foriomlán, cumarsáid le comhpháirtithe, pleanáil tionscadail, agus as seachadadh ardchaighdeáin a chinntiú ar fud na bpacáistí oibre go léir. Tacaíonn muid le scoileanna rannpháirteacha trí fhoghlaim ghairmiúil, forbairt acmhainní, agus treoir maidir le tionscadail ghníomhaíochta aeráide faoi stiúir daltaí a chur i bhfeidhm. Tá ITOC i gceannas freisin ar chruinnithe trasnáisiúnta a óstáil, comhoibriú idir comhpháirtithe a éascú, agus torthaí tionscadal a scaipeadh ar fud na hÉireann trína líonraí náisiúnta.
Baineann ár rannchuidiú leas as an-chuid saineolais in oideachas STEAM, oideachas aeráide, foghlaim dhigiteach, fiosrúchán faoi stiúir daltaí, agus forbairt ghairmiúil múinteoirí. Tagann an tionscadal PROTECT go dlúth lenár n-aidhmeanna eagraíochtúla: tacaíochtaí ardchaighdeáin a chur ar fáil a fheabhsaíonn teagasc, foghlaim agus measúnú go bríoch, agus nuálaíocht, inbhuanaitheacht agus rannpháirtíocht ghníomhach daltaí a chur chun cinn. Trí chumhacht a thabhairt do scoileanna chun dúshláin aeráide a iniúchadh trí fhiosrúchán, cruthaitheacht, agus cur chuige STEAM, neartaíonn PROTECT ár misean chun tacú le foghlaim a bhfuil tionchar aici, atá dírithe ar an todhchaí ar fud an Chláir agus níos faide i gcéin.
EU / International Project Experience
Is príomhchuibhreannas creidiúnaithe Erasmus é Ionad Tacaíochta Oideachais an Chláir a bhfuil stair fhada agus rathúil rannpháirtíochta aige i dtionscadail Erasmus+, rud a léiríonn ár dtiomantas d’fhorbairt ghairmiúil ardchaighdeáin agus do chomhoibriú idirnáisiúnta. Tá buntáistí suntasacha curtha ar fáil do scoileanna an Chláir ag tionscnaimh roimhe seo ar nós STEAMING, RECEPTION agus RECIPE, ag cur le cur chuige oideolaíochta, eolas ábhair agus cleachtas seomra ranga múinteoirí. Thacaigh na tionscadail seo freisin le forbairt acmhainní teagaisc ardchaighdeáin—pleananna ceachta, uirlisí digiteacha, agus ábhair sheomra ranga—atá in úsáid go forleathan anois ar fud ár scoileanna.
Tá naisc láidre agus foghlaim chomhroinnte cothaithe ag ár rannpháirtíochtaí Erasmus+ le hoideoirí ar fud na hEorpa. Tá na heispéiris seo tar éis plé gairmiúil a dhoimhniú, peirspictíochtaí nua a thabhairt isteach, agus cleachtas comhoibríoch a neartú. Mar phríomhchuibhreannais, tá comhpháirtíochtaí fadtéarmacha saothraithe againn le hinstitiúidí Eorpacha freisin, rud a chuireann ar chumas malartú eolais inbhuanaithe agus forbairt cleachtas oideachais nuálach atá dírithe ar an todhchaí a leanann ar aghaidh ar mhaithe le múinteoirí agus foghlaimeoirí i gContae an Chláir.

contact person
Ray McInerney
Role in Organisation
Erasmus Co-ordinator
Role in the PROTECT Project
Project Co-ordinator
Ray McInerney is a primary school Principal and Co-ordinator of the PROTECT Project. A former Director of Clare Education Centre, he has significant experience coordinating Erasmus+ initiatives such as STEAMING and RECEPTION, supporting effective collaboration, shared learning, and high-quality outcomes across European education partnerships.




