Irish Second-Level Students' Union (ISSU) Chomhdháil Bhliantúil (Annual Assembly) in Dublin’s Liberty Hall to represent and promote the Nurturing Bright Futures

13 Apr 2023

On Thursday 13 April 2023, Carol Veiga from Student Recruitment and Clodagh O’Sullivan from the Graduate Attributes Programme attended the Irish Second-Level Students'​ Union (ISSU) Chomhdháil Bhliantúil (Annual Assembly) in Dublin’s Liberty Hall to represent and promote the Nurturing Bright Futures programme to almost 250 secondary school students from all over Ireland.

We were delighted to have the opportunity to tell student delegates (from First Year to Leaving Certificate) about this unique programme which is a free, online tool to support students' transition to third level learning and life.  We are also delighted to officially partner with the ISSU in co-developing content and embedding the Nurturing Bright Futures programme at grass-roots level in schools across the country. It was also great to hear their keynote speaker, Minister for Education, Norma Foley, commend and congratulate the ISSU and recognise the impact of their voice and contribution and strong collaboration with her department and other key stakeholders.  At this event, Minister Foley also announced the establishment of a dedicated unit in her department to promote the participation of children and young people into department policy and to examine how the Department of Education listens to views of students, a really positive and progressive step in further enabling students as partners and co-creators.

The Nurturing Bright Futures programme has been developed at University College Cork with input from Guidance Counsellors and second level students and  is widely applicable and transferable to students considering any higher and further education options as their next step. It can be delivered in a scaffolded and structured way but is really flexible and can also be self-directed and self-paced. It is most suitable from Transition Year to Leaving Certificate (or equivalent, in international contexts) and also has resources for Parents, Guardians and Guidance/High School Counsellors and Teachers. It supports students to make more informed decisions around their subject choices, their CAO application and ultimately what career options and outlets will work best for them. It also has lots of really practical advice on how to manage a budget, how to find accommodation in a new city, how to find your tribe(s) and belong in a new learning environment and how to look after your mental health and look after others through important initiatives like the UCC Bystander Intervention programme. It will also help students understand the importance of developing the lifelong, life-wide and life-deep transversal skills and graduate attributes and values needed to create impact and add value at both a societal and economic level.

For more information on the Nurturing Bright Futures programme, please visit www.ucc.ie/nurturingbrightfutures and, to enrol for free, go to: www.ucc.ie/nbf