Outreach Projects

Staying ConnectED

Power2Progress

UCD, in collaboration with Zurich and with support from the Z Zurich Foundation has commenced a ground breaking new two-year programme called Power 2 Progress. This two-year intervention led programme will aim to address education inequality in Ireland, by supporting over 600 senior cycle students from 21 DEIS schools in reaching their full academic potential and ultimately achieve greater success. The programme will also fund PhD research to inform on future educational policy in Ireland.

We launched the programme in September 2021 with 16 DEIS schools across Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare and Wexford. With additional funding from Rethink Ireland, this helped expand the programme to 5 schools in Laois and Offaly, bringing the total to 21 schools today.

Power2Progress Shared Learning Day Video

Cyberwise.ie

The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), is the lead Government Department for cyber security in the State. The Department oversees the implementation of the National Cyber Security Strategy 2019-2024. A key theme of the Strategy is about developing the capacity of the State, research institutions, businesses, the public sector and of the people to both better understand and manage the nature of the challenges we face in this space. ln particular, measures 12 and 13 of the Strategy include actions on developing cyber security education and promoting female participation in cybersecurity.

Funded by the DECC, a team of teacher educators and researchers from the School of Education and School of Computer Science in UCD are working in collaboration with a steering group comprising members of the National Centre for Cyber Security (NCSC), the Computers in Education Society of Ireland (CESI), the NCCA and Cyber Ireland to design and implement a Junior Cycle short course on cyber security. The first phase of this project is to road test elements of the draft specification with a purposive sample of post-primary schools in Ireland.

Peigí's Adventures

Peigí’s Adventures in Science represents an innovative collaboration between two UCD staff members, Dr Shane Bergin, a physicist and Dr Declan Fahie a teacher educator and former primary school teacher. The four stories offer an age-appropriate introduction to social justice and science themes. Designed specifically for junior classes, issues of fairness and equity, in tandem with science topics like space, travel, environmental awareness and growing things, are explored gently through the medium of story. The central character, Peigí the cocker spaniel, is the common thread throughout the four stories and her adventures provide the young reader with engagement and excitement while highlighting both the everyday nature of science and the importance of treating others with care and consideration.

Funding for Peigí’s Adventures in Science is from the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Discover Programme.

PDST Young Economist of the Year

YEOTY, as it has become affectionately known, is now in its seventh year and is developing into a significant national awards event for the enjoyment and promotion of economics. Commencing in 2013, the initiative has grown from strength to strength with an increasing number of participants and an improved level of quality each year.

The national awards event rotates amongst the major third level institutions in Ireland. The first YEOTY was hosted by the in Department of Economics, Finance and Accounting in Maynooth University in 2013 and this year’s event was due to be hosted by the College of Social Science and Law, in UCD, however, as this was not possible due to Covid-19 restrictions, the event was hosted and broadcast online.

Girls in Stem

Despite the advancements made by women in the employment sector and the academic success enjoyed by girls, women continue to be persistently underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM). In Ireland, women represented fewer than 25% of people working in jobs that use STEM skills.

Research on gender and STEM tells us that in order for young women to pursue a career in STEM, they must believe in the important of STEM and believe in their ability to succeed in the field. Research conducted by Microsoft has revealed that most girls become interested in STEM at age 11, but their inherent interest starts to wane by age 15.

Students in post-primary schools designated as disadvantaged (DEIS) are particularly under-represented in STEM in Ireland and are less likely to pursue STEM after post-primary school.

This project aims to develop and strengthen the interest and attitudes of young girls in post-primary schools designated as disadvantaged (DEIS) in STEM.