Santa Sabina Dominican College in Sutton, north Dublin, has been involved in the initiative since the post-Covid period and has received silver and bronze medals for their achievements in implementing the programme.
The empathy initiative was led by teacher Alex Murphy, who came across the programme in his own time and thought it would be a good addition to the school.
“It felt like a gap that needed to be filled post-Covid,” Mr Murphy said.
“I could see students were lacking in socialisation and social skills, and it felt like the perfect opportunity to bring it to the school.”
In practical terms, the Narrative 4 programme is a tool to help students foster social skills while also building mutual respect for one another in the form of empathy.
The general concept is that students are taught about what empathy is, what it means, and how people can be empathetic toward one another.
Students are given a theme for a story exchange, for example, a happy moment or an achievement. The idea is that they share it with people they might not know as well, celebrating who they are.
The process works by one student telling their story to another, and then they recite the story back to a group at the end as if it were their own, told in the first person.
The story exchange isn’t just about telling your own story; it’s about listening and understanding the experience of others.
Last week, Santa Sabina hosted a full empathy week, during which students and staff took part in story exchanges, a walk-and-talk event and workshops.
Mr Murphy said that receiving the Narrative 4 Gold Empathy Award – presented by Lisa Consiglio, who helped launch Narrative 4 in 2012, along with author Colum McCann and Dr James Lawlor, director of Narrative 4 Ireland – was a “really special moment”.
“It’s a huge honour for the school, especially being the first in the world to receive this recognition,” he said.
“It’s something we’ve worked towards with a lot of passion and commitment from both the students and staff.”
Speaking about the effect the programme has had on the school, Mr Murphy said he can see the senior students as a prime example of the positive impact of the initiative.
“These senior students are now the ones volunteering to help with the empathy programme and have kind of linked up with junior students,” he said.
“The kids that were sitting in front of you in 2021 are now the leaders of empathy in the school.
“The students have really embraced the programme and have become more confident in sharing their experiences, and we’ve seen them open up in ways we didn’t expect at the start.
“This isn’t just a short-term project. We’ve committed to continuing these initiatives for years to come. We want empathy to be at the heart of everything we do,” he added.