For the past few weeks, National College of Ireland’s campus has been buzzing with exiting events for enthusiastic young learners. The fun kicked off back in June when the Lord Mayor of Dublin, James Geoghegan, visited the students who had completed the Discover University Programme at NCI. The students had a brilliant time and their project showcase really set the tone for the fantastic summer camps that followed.
First up was the Senior Coding Club.
This camp was so popular that we were able to run it twice, with both camps reaching full capacity in the blink of an eye. From July 1st – 5th, 2024 and again from July 15th – 19th, 2024, National College of Ireland welcomed secondary school students who were eager to explore the world of coding! Completely free of charge, students aged 13-16 had the opportunity to delve into MakeCode and Python Programming for Micro:bit and Raspberry Pi devices with the chance to win some amazing prizes. For those who are curious about computing and interested in learning about all the latest technology from our college lecturers, this Senior Coding Club was the perfect summer activity. The camp was designed to be lots of fun, and to welcome young people to NCI to give them a taste of what they may go on to study later. The camp also allowed young people to engage with real hardware and programming that is used today, highlighting how their interests in computing can be easily transferred to their education. This sort of introduction to third level learning allows young students to see that it is possible to use their combined interests and skills to thrive in the world beyond school. At National College of Ireland, we understand that education is personal, and students tend to thrive when they enjoy what they have chosen to study.
The highlight of the Senior Coding Club was the “Hackathon” at the end of each week. Selected students were given the platform to display all their hard work and proudly display the project they created and developed. It is always rewarding to see young learners so delighted and proud of their achievements. There is always a great atmosphere on campus when these kinds of showcases are taking place. In the middle of these camps, another brilliant camp was running at NCI.
The Control Alt Compete camp took place from July 8th – July 12th, 2024.
Secondary school girls taking part in Transition Year (TY), had the opportunity to delve into all that coding entails. This was another completely free of charge camp that reached full capacity.
The students enjoyed a week filled with talks from brilliant guest speakers on tech and computing. They gained insights into how people use computing in their chosen fields, while also delving into the MakeCode coding environment for the Micro:bit, a tiny pocket-sized device that allows students to get first-hand and creative with coding and digital making. The highlight of this week was the challenge that was set. Students were tasked with creating the most innovative solution to real world scenarios. Prizes were given to stand-out ideas, and all students received a certificate to mark their completion of the camp. One of the uniquely fantastic features of this camp was that no prior experience in tech or computing was needed to register. Students who were simply curious could step into a whole new sphere, and it is amazing to see how ideas thrive, and confidence grows from the beginning of the week to the end.
We hope that the TY students enjoyed themselves. Who knows? A seed could have been planted and in a few years, they may choose to study technology or computing at third level. Sometimes it only takes the slightest nudge to foster curiosity, and when you’re given the confidence to reach for things you want, the world opens. These camps for young learners are a testament to the National College of Ireland mantra Changing Lives Through Education, and we are proud to support students before, during, and even after their time at NCI.
“The tech industry currently faces a significant gender gap, and a persistent myth suggests that women and girls lack interest in technical subjects. To challenge this notion, our SOC annual summer camp aims to introduce programming concepts to a group of Transition Year (TY) female students in a fun, relatable, and meaningful way. We believe the problem-solving skills they developed during the camp will create opportunities in whatever field they choose. Or who knows, they may even choose computer science, as sometimes all it takes is a little nudge!” ~ Julie Power, Computing Support Tutor at National College of Ireland.
National College of Ireland is committed to helping the next generation of learners find their passions. This is reflected in NCI’s commitment to the P-Tech Programme. P-Tech (Pathways in Technology) is an innovative model of learning that combines education and industry skills in a unique way, structured to give students the skills they need to thrive by linking studies and careers. It can be difficult in secondary school, particularly for students who may find secondary school hard for several reasons to envision themselves in the world years later. It can be hard to picture the next chapter in life when we’re in the middle of one, so demonstrating to young people especially, how studies and certain courses link to a career you may want, and explaining how you will use those skills gained while studying in the job you want is a key element of inspiring young students to embrace education. When you can see where a course may take you and what that course could allow you to do, it is easier to focus on goals and work towards them.
In 2018, the Irish Government announced support for a pilot programme of P-TECH in Ireland, centred in the NEIC, with the aim of tackling educational disadvantage. National College of Ireland became a Higher Education Partner, working with industry partners and schools to reimagine the original P-TECH model and to design a whole new curriculum tailored to complement the Irish education system. P-TECH in Ireland is a unique industry, education, and community-based collaboration. The Certificate in P-TECH is a new programme which seeks to provide students with a range of skills and experiences that help their development, future learning and future career. The programme highlights the importance of empowering students to develop self-awareness, self-belief, and personal autonomy. It also creates lots of opportunities to learn about collaboration, project working, appreciating other perspectives, problem-solving and how to reflect on learning and experiences.
Learn More About P-Tech at National College of Ireland
At National College of Ireland, we are proud to offer students free access to high quality educational opportunities. It is crucial that young people who hope to go on to study at third level feel welcome and know that studying here someday is possible. It is highly rewarding to see the students develop their confidence and identify possible educational goals. We also want to say thank you and well done to the dedicated staff and faculty members who facilitated these camps and made the students feel so welcome.
“These camps for young learners are a testament to the National College of Ireland mantra “Changing Lives Through Education,” and we are proud to support students before, during, and even after their time at NCI.” ~ Dr Anu Sahni, Programme Director of the MSc in Data Science.
#ChangingLivesThroughEducation