Transition Year Programme

Our Transition Year (TY) Programme is a one-week mental health awareness placement, conducted by clinical staff from St Patrick’s Mental Health Services.

About the programme

Every year, 100 students from across Ireland take part in the TY Programme, with 20 students participating in a week-long placement at a time.

Students engage in approximately five sessions each day, focusing on various aspects of mental health. They also get to take part in a mock multidisciplinary team (MDT) meeting.

Each May, we mark the graduation of students who have completed the programme, hearing from special guest speakers and giving out graduation certificates to each of the students, who leave the programme empowered to act as mental health ambassadors in both their schools and local communities.

2021/22 programme

The next TY Programme takes place over five separate week-long placements across the 2021/22 academic year, and will be designed with public health guidance in mind. Applications for the programme are now open, with the deadline closing on Friday, 30 July.

All applications will be entered into a draw for places, which will be confirmed with the successful applicants ahead of the academic year. Please note that, if multiple applications are submitted, each student can only be offered one week-long placement on the programme.

If you have any queries about applications, please email info@walkinmyshoes.ie.

When does the programme run?
The programme takes place over the weeks below.
- 18-22 October 2021
- 8-12 November 2021
- 22-26 November 2021
- 17-21 January 2022
- 14-18 February 2022.
Who can apply?

Students, parents and teachers can apply on behalf of a specific student who would like to take part in the programme.

Teachers and TY Coordinators can also apply for a general place on the programme which can then be assigned to a student in their school at a later point. A deadline for confirming the name of the student will be set ahead of the programme starting.
How do I submit an application?
To apply, please email our Project Manager, Amanda McArdle, at info@walkinmyshoes.ie, providing the relevant details as listed below.

If you are applying for a place for a particular student, please provide information for all the fields below:
- Student name
- Student date of birth
- Parent or guardian email
- School name
- School address
- TY Coordinator name
- TY Coordinator email.
If you are a teacher or TY Coordinator applying for a place on the programme which will be assigned to a student at a later time, please provide the information below:
- School name
- School address
- TY Coordinator name
- TY Coordinator email.