The iDecide project initiative aims to introduce 5th and 6th class primary school children (11-13 years old) to university life and education, and to inspire young people to pursue a university degree in their future.
Academic integration/belonging, Financial needs, Social integration/belongingWorkshop | Info session | Off campus | On campus | Online & in person (hybrid)
Time lineWhat is the main idea or gist?
What does this initiative/support/project look like?
iDecide is a collaboration between three UCD lecturers from Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, and Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics and is supported by Access and Lifelong Learning as an outreach project strand of the Pathways to the Professions project.
The iDecide project initiative aims to introduce 5th and 6th class primary school children (11-13 years old) to university life and education, and to inspire young people to pursue a university degree in their future.
It involves a visit to University College Dublin followed by 1-2 sessions in the children’s classrooms to develop a story or a comic book with the title “A Day in the life of a University Student”. These sessions are facilitated by University College Dublin student volunteers.
On the UCD visit, young people have the opportunity to experience focal points of the campus (such as lecture theatres, laboratories, sports facilities, library) and meet with volunteer university students who will share their stories of university life. The young people have the choice of experiencing virtual reality, veterinary medicine and healthcare simulated workshops.
Target Group: primary school students (11-13 years). (2024: 43 students)
It does not currently form part of the curriculum.
Length: 4-6 weeks. Mid-end of either trimester 1 or 2.
What are the goals?
Engage UCD students as active participants in providing information about university life to young people from underrepresented groups.
Build young people’s knowledge and plant a seed around progression options through storytelling.
How are students involved?
Student volunteers are involved in the design and delivery of the classroom workshop activities. Student volunteers support staff and engage with the children in the UCD workshop activities.
Paid Student Access Leaders are involved in the visit to UCD in bringing the children on a campus tour and to and from the workshop activities.
What underlying constructs or ideas inspired the design?
The initiative is an outreach project strand of the Pathways to the Professions project.
Profession awareness activities through student role modelling to develop confidence and aspiration of
primary and post primary students.
Information and guidance to build community capacity.
What the success criteria and the points of attention?
strongly agree
(How) is this initiative/support/project evaluated?
Yes – student survey on content and organisational aspect. (internal records only).
How is it communicated and advertised?
Through their lecturers.
What is the current and ideal timing and duration?
School term times.
What resources are needed to run this initiative?
Is it easily transferrable to other contexts or groups?
We think it is easily transferable to other contexts or groups.
Yes this initiative follows the principles of universal design.
Yes – include student input in design and delivery. Ensure materials are accessible. Offer choice in how pupils develop story eg images, text (handwritten or typed), spoken word.