2021
UCC launches unique programme to help students tackle transition to third level life and learning
UCC has developed a unique new programme designed to help school students make the transition to third level.
Developed by the Graduate Attributes Programme, Nurturing Bright Futures (NBF) is an innovative online programme designed for secondary level students from Transition Year to Leaving Certificate, to help them become future-ready as they navigate the next step in their education journey.
The six-module programme guides students on how to choose a course that is right for them, degree choices and future careers, decision-making styles, transitioning to higher level education, and the realities of university life. The self-directed programme is designed to be taken over the course of a number of weeks, in bite-size format. The multi-media content – including videos, podcasts, articles, worksheet exercises and quizzes – has been created to help students acquire the skills and tools they will need as they make the transition to third level.
NBF is relevant for all Senior Cycle students, from Transition Year to Leaving Certificate, and is designed with all pre-entry student cohorts in mind – both domestic and international. The programme also contains bespoke content for students accessing third level as Mature Students, International Students, and through the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) scheme.
While the programme is designed to empower and enable Senior Cycle students to make informed choices and decisions for their next step, NBF also serves as a resource for Guidance Counsellors, educators, and parents and guardians, and bespoke guides are available for those in supportive roles both in school and at home.
In developing the programme, the Graduate Attributes team collaborated closely with both internal and external stakeholder groups including academic and professional services teams at UCC, the UCC Students’ Union and, crucially, Senior Cycle students and Guidance Counsellors.
Carol Veiga, Interim Manager of the Graduate Attributes Programme, says: “Nurturing Bright Futures will empower students to make informed choices on what subjects, degree courses and careers would work best for them. It will give them the confidence and the courage to own their decisions, and will enable them to follow their passions, pursue their dreams and, ultimately, begin, belong and become the people they want to be.”
Interim President, Professor John O’Halloran, has welcomed the launch:
“Nurturing Bright Futures sets out a programme for skill development and prioritises opening up diverse and progressive pathways for everyone, enabling personal growth, developing our learners’ talent, promoting lifelong learning and empowering learners to become active members of society, engaging in employment, contributing to prosperity and driving vibrant and diverse communities.
“We hope and believe the Nurturing Bright Futures programme will be a really useful and relevant resource for students, Guidance Counsellors, teachers, parents and guardians.”
For more information about Nurturing Bright Futures, follow this link.