MTU Kerry has become the first third level institution in the country to host a summer programme aimed at students with additional needs.
Pupils from Nano Nagle Special School in Listowel took part in a two-week summer camp at the Kerry Sports Academy in the MTU campus.
Participants availed of a wide range of MTU's amenities, and took part in activities, including drama and drumming workshops.
Minister for Education Norma Foley is urging other third level institutions to follow MTU's lead.
17-year-old Tomás Lynch from Castlegregory who attends Nano Nagle describes how he enjoyed the experience.
Tomás communicates through Lámh manual sign system his sister Emma is the translator.
Tomás lives with his family forty miles from his school in Listowel so usually doesn't get to see his friends during the summer holidays.
His father, Micheál Lynch says children and teens with additional needs would benefit from longer summer programmes:
This pilot project is one of more than 1,700 individual summer programme schemes running this summer, across primary, post-primary and special schools, for children with special educational needs or educational disadvantage.
The programmes are free-of-charge for families and are funded by a €40 million budget allocation.
Under the pilot summer programme, children with a wide range of ages and abilities from Nano Nagle Special School attended the pilot project for two weeks at MTU at the start of July.
The summer programme was put together with the help of the school programme organiser, Jacqueline Halpin, and the co-ordinators for MTU, Head of Department of Health & Leisure Studies, Dr. Michael Hall and Manager of Kerry Sports Academy, Hazel Byrne.
