ABOUT US
Our Core Team
CTL Ireland is an educational organisation founded by intercultural learning experts Anton Kieffer and Aisling Meade. CTL is supported by a small multidisciplinary team of professionals who are passionate about learning mobility, international education and intercultural exchange.
CTL Ireland is based in the friendly and vibrant city of Cork in the south of Ireland and runs programmes nationwide. Our connections with communities, projects, institutions and local experts allow us to design programmes that meet the needs of our overseas partners and participants.
Who we are: a passionate, experienced and diverse team
When you choose CTL Ireland you are tapping into a dedicated, creative and hardworking team. Founders and leaders Anton Kieffer and Aisling Meade have years of hands-on experience in learning mobility and experiential learning. We both have travelled extensively around the world and are truly passionate about what we do. We want to share our passion for Ireland and the Irish culture with your participants.
How we work: personal service & attention
All our partnerships and programmes are directly managed by one of our directors. We are proud to offer the expertise and experience that you can find in a large organisation together with the personal attention from senior management that only a smaller organisation can have. We believe in creating trust, accountability, and friendship with our local and international partners. We’re big enough to deliver and small enough to really care!
Anton Kieffer
Director
Originally from France, Anton has been living in Ireland for 20 years. Before settling in Cork - Ireland’s second city - Anton lived and worked around the world, spending extended periods of time in Latin America and West Africa where he worked in the field of development and youth empowerment. In France, Anton co-founded two youth organisations focusing on global and development education. Prior to CTL Ireland, Anton managed international volunteering and development education programmes in the not for profit sector. He has organised and coordinated immersion and educational programmes for hundreds of young people, both travelling to Ireland and going abroad. He has also carried out research on international learning mobility for University College Cork. Anton holds a first class honours Master’s degree in International Development Studies, and two other first class honours degrees: a Bachelor's Degree in Geography and a B.A. Honours Degree in Business Studies. He speaks four languages fluently and is the proud father of three children. Anton is passionate by hiking, road running and trail running. Each week end and each holidays, he recharges his batteries going outdoor with his family. He also runs at least one marathon per year!
Aisling Meade
Director
Born to Irish parents in America, Aisling spent her childhood between California, Montreal and Limerick. She has lived in Cork city since her university days. A senior manager for over 10 years in the not for profit educational travel sector, her first introduction to the world of educational travel was in a post university job bringing groups of lifelong learners around Ireland, meeting Irish people, making connections and learning behind the scenes. Aisling has devoted her career since to creating meaningful learning experiences for educational groups visiting Ireland. In recent years she specialised in making new partnerships and custom designing short term study visits to meet their needs. Aisling works with all kinds of groups; high school, university, lifelong learners and special interest and family groups. She loves to make connections between visitors to Ireland and the people and places that will inspire them long after they have returned home. Aisling holds a BA in Sociology and Economics and a Higher Diploma in Cooperative Organisation and Rural Development from University College Cork. In 2017 she was awarded a Special Purpose Certificate in Training and Education from Griffith College. She loves to travel around Ireland and to other countries with her husband and two growing children.
Mallory Slavin
Programme Coordinator
Originally from the USA, Mallory holds bachelor's degrees from Michigan State University in both International Relations and American Criminal Justice. Throughout college and after, she spent time working, traveling, and volunteering across South and Southeast Asia, and East Africa. After her undergraduate degree completion, she spent time working as a global engagement specialist in the international development and volunteer sector, training as an international guide and earning a Wilderness First Aid certification. Mallory moved to Ireland to complete a Masters degree in International Development at University College Dublin. She has a passion for asset based community development, global citizenship, and immersive learning and loves traveling, especially when hiking is involved. Her favourite cities in the world are Cape Town and Kathmandu.
Lorène Bourgeois
Programme Coordinator
Originally from France, Lorène has been drawn to Ireland for years before finally moving to Connemara in 2018. Lorène has worked several years in the international leisure tourism industry, coordinating programmes for hundreds of visitors to Ireland. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Foreign Languages (during which she completed an 3-month internship in Cork) and a Master's degree in Tourism and Sport. Her studies allowed her to travel around Europe during internships and Erasmus exchanges, and she spent a semester in Wuppertal, Germany in 2014. These experiences have enhanced her passion for interculturality and international educational programmes. During her free time, you will find her in nature, horse-riding, hiking or running (preferably in the mountains and with her dog).
Connect with our Unique Network
The best part of an experience in Ireland is connecting with local people and getting immersed within local communities. This is what we have been facilitating for many years! We have built over the years a unique and diverse network of wonderful people and organisations across the country. Have a look at who we can connect you with:
