Posted on: 21 June 2010
The 2010 Trinity Access Programmes (TAP) Summer School saw 63 students from 20 secondary schools take part in a week of academic, cultural, social and sporting activities designed to introduce students from TAP linked secondary schools designated as disadvantaged to Trinity College. The TAP Summer School programme is designed for 5th-year students and aims to give pupils from socio-economic groups currently underrepresented in the Irish third level education sector a unique opportunity to experience the physical, academic, cultural and social aspects of student life in Trinity College.
During the week students took part in a range of innovative sessions that included project work in film, creative writing, photography and web design. Lectures were also organised covering a range of academic subjects including psychology, philosophy, immunology and biotechnology. One of the main goals of the TAP Summer School is to provide participants with a firsthand insight of the College. It also assists students, many of whom are the first in their families to consider higher education, in making an informed decision with regard to third level study and undergraduate course options.
TAP Summer School participants take part in an icebreaker activity in College Park.
To ensure that the students gain maximum exposure to all the facilities on offer in Trinity College students took part in icebreaker activities such as a stand-up comedy event facilitated by the TCD Comedy Society and participated in an ‘Art of Public Speaking’ session delivered by the TCD Philosophical Society. Members of the College community, both academic and administrative, along with student-led societies volunteered their time to ensure the students received an understanding of the clubs, societies, volunteer groups and the broad range of academic interests available in TCD and assist them with career guidance and self-development sessions.
One student who took part in the Summer School commented: “I thought the Summer School was excellent not only because my experience here was extremely enjoyable but also because I learned a lot about the questions I wanted to ask about college. It has motivated me and makes me feel as though gaining entry to college is actually achievable now.”
The Summer School’s closing ceremony took place on Friday 18th June and was attended by the students’ parents and the volunteers who participated during the week. TCD graduate and current Rose of Tralee, Charmaine Kenny, presented Lisa Cunningham, a student from Rush Community School, with the ‘Susan Parkes Educational Achievement Medal’ in recognition of her unique contribution to the web design project group and her overall engagement with the Summer School. Each student also received a certificate from the College and an exhibition of projects completed by the students during the week was on display showcasing their achievements.
