• 21 Years of DCU Access
• New member of our team!
• Social Innovation Programme
• Career Portfolio Programme funded by Citibank
• Access Achievers

21 Years of DCU Access Service

This is the 2011 special edition of the DCU Access Service's annual publication, celebrating 21 years of Access at DCU. This report looks at the history of the Service and at its successes and achievements, as well as examining the future of Access.

Watch video celebrating 21 years of DCU Access Service here

New member of our team

We are delighted to welcome a new member of staff to the Access Team. Susan Hawkins has taken up the role of Pre-Entry Project Officer as of 2nd August 2011. She joins us from the Access Service at D.I.T. where she worked as a Post-Entry Project officer for five years.

We wish Susan every success in her new role and look forward to working with her during the year ahead.

You can contact Susan on 01 7006040 or at susan.hawkins@dcu.ie

Social Innovation Programme

Co-funded by State Street Corporation (Ireland) and launching during Autumn 2011, the Programme is for the provision of a Social Innovation Programme for students in 23 secondary schools which are designated by the Department of Education and Science as having disadvantaged status. It will be aimed at Transition Year and fifth-year students between 15 and 17 years of age.

The Programme will be coordinated and managed by DCU Access Service and delivered as part of a series of interventions for Senior Cycle students in secondary schools. The Programme will be co-delivered in partnership with a community based organisation - Young Social Innovators (YSI) - who have over a decade of experience in delivering community-based Social Innovation Programmes to young people. Since their inception in 2001, they have worked with over 30,000 students throughout Ireland.

Career Portfolio Programme funded by Citibank

Commencing in Winter 2011, the DCU Citi Programme will provide a Career Portfolio Programme for Transition Year/Senior Cycle students in 23 North Dublin Secondary Schools that are linked to DCU through the Access Service. It will be aimed at students between 15 and 17 years of age. The Programme will be coordinated and managed by the DCU Access Service and the School of Education Studies at DCU.

A research study will be conducted by DCU to establish the impact of the programme and the results will be used to inform teaching practices on guidance for Transition Year/Senior Cycle students.

Access Achievers

2011 is proving to be a particularly successful year for Access students. In May, Vicky Kavanagh a final year Journalism student successfully in secured an internship in the USA through the Washington Ireland Programme. This was followed by Donald Cummins (Business Studies 4) securing an Internship placement with in South Carolina. Julie Fullerton, also Business Studies 4 and Mark Hatton (Marketing Innovation and Technology 3) were awarded with internships in Jamaica and finally Aishling Brady (Gaeilge agus Iriseoireacht 2) and Leylah Mohammed (International Relations 3) won EIL Ireland, international travel awards to India and Mexico respectively.