Chief Disruptor

Dr Patricia O'Lynn established the Institute for Disruption in 2024 after completing a PhD in education and resigning from her career in politics. 

In 2013, Patricia began working with excluded youth across Northern Ireland. After witnessing first hand how school exclusion catapults young people into criminality, poverty and addiction,  Patricia pledged to be part of the solution rather than the problem. 

For her, this means, dedicating her life's work to challenging and changing the oppressive structures which operate to stigmatize, other and excluded those who do not fit the system. 

By combining her political knowledge, academic expertise and practice-based learning, Patricia has developed new methodologies for disruption which position excluded youth as the catalyst for inclusive change. 

She has built a team of disruptive consultants who, between them, have years of experience and a deep understanding of the educational landscape. 

By combining the principles of anti-oppressive practice with concepts under-pinning chaos theory, Patricia and her team provide governments, schools and students with cutting edge disruptive tools to create a more inclusive society.