Science for Life
CIT Access Service – ‘Science for Life’ Programme
The ‘Science for Life’ program was initiated in September 2009 and the main aim of the program is to encourage students to study Science at junior and senior cycle level in post primary schools and to study Science courses at third level. The program involves visits by members of CIT Science staff to schools, to carry out workshops on topics such as Electronics, Microbiology and Chemistry. Students also visit CIT Science Departments and go on field trips to places such as Inniscarra dam and water treatment plant, Fota Wildlife Park or the school can receive a visit from the Blackrock Castle Observatory Portable Planetarium.
The ‘Science for Life’ programme aims to deliver to four cohorts of student:
- Primary School children – Dream
- Junior Cycle Students – Second Level – Focus
- Transition Year Students – Second Level – Experience
- Senior Cycle Students – Second Level – Achieve
Dream – Primary School
The programme will commence with a number of initiatives aimed at primary school children. The reason for targeting the pupils at this age is to give them an appetite for science at a young age. Early identification and intervention is necessary at the primary school level if progress is to be made in increasing under-represented groups. From experience of working with senior cycle students, the CIT Access Office has found, that many students at this stage, have made a decision whether they want to study science or not. It is often too late to make any real impact as students have made their choice on subjects for the leaving cert. The emphasis at Primary level will be to engage with the pupils in a fun and hands on interactive way. The initiatives will be aimed at the students, their parents and their teachers. The Blackrock Observatory which is co-funded by CIT will be used as a ‘space’ to deliver some of these programmes. The Cork City Councils Lifetime Lab will also be used as a base for the delivery of the programme.
Focus – Junior Cycle
In order to keep the contact with the students and to promote science as a real option, the programme will link with the students. Initiatives such as First Year Essay Competitions, Home Work Clubs, etc will be delivered.
Experience – Transition Year
In Transition Year students have the time to experience and explore science, the subjects, the careers, the courses, etc. The ‘Science for Life’ Programme will link with local industry to deliver ‘Work Shadowing’ and ‘Student Shadowing’ days, Science Emersion Days on campus programmes, participate on the ‘Exploring Technology’ week long programme in CIT, etc.
Achieve – Senior Cycle
Students will have an opportunity to avail of Maths, Chemistry, Physics Revision Days. The Students parents will be invited into the Institute to an ‘Information Session on the CAO Process and the benefits of studying Science at Third Level’.
Outcomes
- Improved relationship between CIT and the DEIS Primary and Secondary Schools in the city.
- Greater interest amongst young people in Science. A realisation that Science can be fun and relevant to everyday life.
- Greater engagement with parents. By working with parents, they will become more conscious of the role they play in the development of their children’s future and the importance of science to the knowledge based society.
- Greater awareness and appreciation for science courses in CIT, amongst the science teachers in the schools.
- Increase in the number of students from participating schools taking science subjects in the leaving cert.
- Increased awareness of the range of science programmes in CIT among leaving cert students, their parents and their teachers.
- Enhance the links between CIT and local employers of graduates.
The overall project will increase the number of people from DEIS schools accessing science and technology programmes from second year onwards. There will be an increase in the level of interest in science in schools which will positively impact on the numbers of students studying science in CIT in subsequent years.
The Science for Life program currently has links with nine city schools:
- Bishopstown Community School
- Deerpark CBS
- Mayfield Community School
- Nagle Community College
- North Monastery
- North Presentation
- St Patricks Secondary School
- Terence MacSwiney Community College
- Ursuline Secondary School
The Science for Life program is run by Dr Sharon Lawton, phone 021-4335108,
Email: sharon.lawton@cit.ie
The Science for Life project was set up by the CIT Access Service and is supported by the Dormant Account (Educational Disadvantage) Fund.
