Trinity Access Programmes Educational Achievement Awards

Posted on: 10 May 2012

Over 325 second level students and parents filled the Old Dining Hall recently  for a very special Trinity Access Programmes (TAP)  Educational  Achievement Awards Ceremony,  at which the Provost Dr  Patrick Prendergast officiated.   The guest speaker, John Lonergan, shared words of wisdom with the guests from his time as former Governor of Mountjoy Prison.  He encouraged the students, their parents and teachers to celebrate their achievements and to continue to look for opportunities, such as linkages with TAP that will bring fulfilment to their lives.

St Joseph’s Principal, Patricia Hayden, and the Provost 

The Educational Achievement Awards are given to approximately 90 Junior Cycle and Transition Year students (13-16 year olds) in schools linked to the Trinity Access Programmes (TAP).  The awards recognise their academic excellence and hard work in school. All of the students have shown outstanding commitment and diligence and are being rewarded for the potential that they are showing as future students of Trinity College.  

Some of the projects which were selected this year are:  

A well-researched project on the history of vampires; the establishment of a new political party called Sinn Muid;  a comic book documenting the success of the Irish boxer, Katie Taylor; a book which illustrates the problems of underage drinking and  a project on Justin Bieber.

In addition, six students have been selected as recipients of the Salters Sterling Gold Medal Award. Salters Sterling, a former staff member of TCD and a founding member of the Trinity Access Programmes, was a visionary who was committed to opening up Trinity College to a more diverse student body.  The Transition Year students selected for the Salters Sterling Gold Medal Award have, similarly, shown a great sense of civic-mindedness and purposefulness in their classrooms, schools and communities.  These students stand out as the leaders of tomorrow.

TAP works intensively with 20 primary and a further 20 secondary schools in the inner city and greater Dublin area, promoting academic achievement through  campus  and school based activities which aim to encourage students to go to college.