Jacinta Owens

Jacinta spent 20 years supporting learners in their educational journeys. She has a lifelong passion for Storywriting award-winning stories, poems, and scripts alongside her work in education. . She eventually pursued this further, enrolling on an experiential diploma course in Journalism and Broadcast Media with the BBC. She then moved to Dublin to complete a Masters in Feature Film Production. Meanwhile, Jacinta continued to write and make films, winning more competitions and recognition. She then came to the Innovation Academy to add a Graduate Certificate to her long list of achievements. Jacinta took one look at our fantastic team and creative working environment and thought, “That looks like fun”.

Since 2018, Jacinta has been facilitating creativity and innovation courses at the Academy. She nurtures learners’ innate creative potential and empowers them to make their mark on the world. She has also worked on the research project COVISION: Children as Innovators. This has led Jacinta to investigate how children’s creative input can help to build community resilience during the pandemic and beyond. She has also participated in research on the use of VR storytelling to create empathetic learning experiences.

Jacinta’s enchantment with the written word remains strong, so she spends much of her free time writing, and acts as a creative practice facilitator. She is drawn to experiences that challenge her and provide opportunities for personal growth. She is a member of several communities of practice, where she learns how to connect her inner life with the outer world and live more authentically.

Why I joined the UCD Innovation Academy…

“As a graduate student, all my adult learning was hands-on and experiential. I discovered my own ability to guide and lead people to creativity through experiential learning. And I knew that the Innovation Academy was the perfect place to practice it with a group of curious, creative and talented colleagues.”