The Clinton visit may be the occasion for the announcement of a $1.5 million American contribution to a new multi-million pound North-South educational project, it was speculated last night.
It is believed the plans would involve the US Department of Education providing $500,000 per year over the next three years for a school exchange and civic education programme which will involve 20 schools this year, more than 40 schools next year and well over 60 schools in 2000.
This would be matched by Irish Government funding to be announced later today, and discussions are continuing about how the British government can also contribute. A number of other joint north-south and Irish-US educational initiatives will be announced by the Taoiseach when he and President Clinton address a gathering the College of Surgeons in Dublin this morning.
The project would be modelled on Project Citizen, a programme aimed at encouraging civic responsibility and greater knowledge of government which is already in operation in schools throughout the US and has been exported to Bosnia, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Czech Republic.
Project Citizen is the brainchild of the US Education Secretary Mr Richard Riley, who is accompanying President Clinton on his Irish trip. It has been adapted specifically to meet Irish circumstances, north and south, and will be undertaken in collaboration with the Centre for Civic Education in California.
It will be co-ordinated by Co-operation Ireland, formerly Co-operation North. Administrative details have still to be finalised.
The project will consist of two broad components. Firstly, there will be a greatly increased level of school and youth group exchanges, and joint work particularly in areas such as the environment, urban and rural regeneration, education reform and cultural heritage. Secondly, teachers, youth and community leaders will come together to do work on issues of common concern.