On Wednesday, June 26th, 2024, another extremely exciting event took place at National College of Ireland. It was graduation day for the young people who took part in this year’s Discover University Programme.
What is Discover University?
Discover University is an annual summer programme held in NCI every June. The programme is one of Dublin’s Inner-City Programmes facilitated by ELI (Early Learning Initiative.)
The programme is designed for young people from the ages of 14-17, and it is specially designed to give them the opportunity to explore what campus life is like at National College of Ireland. Experiencing an immersive taste of college life allows the students to think about what they may want to do, and to see college as part of their future. This year the programme ran from June 18th – June 26th, 2024, and the week was filled to the brim with activities.
Students choose one of four subjects: Business, Computing, Early Childhood Education and Psychology. They work in groups to complete a project in their chosen subject throughout the week, while they also attend lectures, workshops, and lots of other activities! The programme also includes visits to exciting and innovative companies in the Docklands to show how higher education translates into the working world. Each group receives mentoring and support from a team leader (a third level NCI student) and NCI faculty staff. The programme is free of charge for young people.
Why is Discover University Important?
The programme aims to offer young people an enjoyable first experience of third-level education. This sneak peek into college life allows them to raise their college and career expectations, and to get excited about the options that lie ahead. The experience is designed to help them develop the skills they will need to achieve their goals; communication skills, teamwork skills, critical thinking skills, and presenting skills are worked on and developed during this week at NCI. The young people who take part in the programme have the chance to meet many people from various sectors within the college; while also getting to meet people from nearby workplaces so they have an opportunity to ask any questions they may have, giving them insights into areas that they may be interested in.
Key Events
The students enjoyed mini lectures, various workshops, and workplace tours. They got to take part in their own version of Dragon’s Den and participate in a Day in the Life inspired networking session. The week was completed on Wednesday, June 26th, 2024, with a Graduation Ceremony to celebrate the students’ hard work and officially mark all they had accomplished. The graduation event took place in Mayor Square, in the beautiful Kelly Theatre. The day started with a project showcase, allowing the students to proudly display the projects they had worked on during the programme.
The students were then welcomed by Prof. Jimmy Hill, Vice President of National College of Ireland. The students were presented with their Discover University Certificates and the day was given the perfect finishing touch as the ceremony was followed by a celebratory summer BBQ. We hope the students had a wonderful time celebrating their success and hard work.
Lord Mayor of Dublin, James Geoghegan, visited National College of Ireland before the ceremony began to congratulate the secondary school students celebrating their graduation from the Discover University Programme. A brilliant week was had by all, and it was fantastic that the Lord Mayor could meet these enthusiastic young students and wish them well.
At National College of Ireland, we want to extend our congratulations and say thank you and well done to the programme coordinator Rebecca Adeyemo, Education Guidance and Tuition Support Coordinator at ELI as well as the entire dedicated team of ELI staff. We also want to say thank you to the other volunteers, both inside and outside the college for giving their time during the programme.
Learn more about the Discover University programme run by ELI.
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