The SUAS Bridge to College project lets students from disadvantaged schools participate in something that's educational - and fun

LOOKS CAN BE deceiving. The red-bricked SUAS Educational Development building in Dublin's Georgian district looks like every other business, bank or apartment block in the area. Inside, however, there are two huge rooms - one of which is designed to look like a forest, the other a sprawling metropolitan city. What's even more interesting is the activities of its inhabitants. "We're currently designing an ad campaign for a new [ fictional] line of rocket-propelled Rollerblades," explains 16-year-old Aoife Walsh of Coláiste Bríde Clondalkin. "They have a built-in stereo and come with a free parachute and helmet. We still can't agree on a price but we're thinking around €400 is fair."

These "Rollerblades" are just a concept, but the effort being put in to their design is very real. Aoife and 24 others are taking part in a new scheme for TY students from disadvantaged schools organised by SUAS Education Development, an organisation which supports education in under-resourced communities. The group was founded in 2002 by a number of Trinity College students. They began their work by setting up programmes in India and Kenya, and have only recently set up in Ireland.

The SUAS Bridge to College (B2C) scheme aims to give TY and 5th year students from disadvantaged schools a week of technological creativity, and to introduce them to college life. Using computers, cameras and other technology, the students are brought in for a week, put into groups and given projects to work on. They make short movies, record songs, design posters or invent new commercial products to sell. It sounds like a lot of fun but, because of the variety of technology used, is also very beneficial. "Learning by doing" is the name of the game.

"The idea evolved from computer clubhouses we saw being set up around the country," says B2C programme developer, Claire Conneely. "It's an idea from the US originally where kids meet on a Saturday morning to do computers. We wanted to take it that step further. In those clubs participants work on projects in a relaxed environment with no time constraints. We were hoping to put something a little more structured together, where the atmosphere is similar but there is a bit of pressure to get projects finished. Still, education through technology is one of the central aims of B2C."

The B2C team has indeed created an environment different to what students would be used to in school. This is achieved by the approach to learning as well as the layout of the "classroom" - five pods, or stations, with two computers in each. The pods encourage teamwork, as groups must work together in the space. "The atmosphere is very informal, but the other big difference to school is that we try and explore what the students know," says John Lawlor, B2C programme manager. "Post primary school students and traditional computer classes are somewhat of a mismatch. They learn about Word and Excel and other applications like they're beginners. But most teenagers have no problem sending e-mails, downloading information or using social networking sites. In fact, at online activities like these, many would be well ahead of their teachers. Yet, these types of programmes are not encouraged in computer classes. We are trying to swim with the tide by introducing them to new applications in a way that they will be both familiar with and able to enjoy."

The other central objective of B2C is to open up the possibility of college to students who otherwise might not have considered it. "In some of the schools we've worked with, third level take-up after the Leaving Cert can be as low as 3 per cent," says Lawlor. "There can be socio-economic barriers to university. If no one in your family or friends has gone to college then some young people just don't think it would be for them either. They don't even consider it."

As part of their week with B2C, students are brought to the Trinity College campus every day for lunch, to look around and talk to college students. "Hopefully, this helps to dispel any fears they might have had about university life," says Lawlor.

The B2C project takes place almost every week of the academic year, but they have limited full-time staff so are reliant on the support of mentors. These volunteers are mainly college students from all disciplines who give up their time to work with the groups coming into the programme. "Each mentor brings with them different skills," says Conneely. "Some might be undergraduates doing computers, so help students with the technical side of things. Others have come from drama backgrounds and are helpful with the more creative elements in projects."

One current mentor is qualified computer engineer Leonard Walsh. "I'm a troubleshooter," he says. "I encourage their creativity, help them to solve any technical problems and promote teamwork." Walsh recently decided he wanted to use his skills as an engineer in a positive way, so got involved with SUAS. "It's a good way to help in the educational development of Dublin. There are serious gaps in educational standards between schools in this city."

Several of the more innovative TY programmes are down to the creativity of teachers in individual schools. However, money talks and the kinds of resources, activities and opportunities that TY students have are going to be influenced by the school budget. SUAS hopes to bridge that gap by offering this project to targeted disadvantaged schools and, hopefully, introducing more young people to the possibilities of third level education. "It is down to some very dedicated teachers to make TY work in disadvantaged schools," says Lawlor. "Not only are they dealing with limited resources, but some parents would feel it is a waste of a year. If parents are positive about it then students usually are too. In addition, those who do decide to do TY usually feel quite exclusive being part of such a small group."

What do students think of B2C? "It's great!" says Aoife Walsh. "We're not in school, which is always a good thing. But we're also making lots of new friends and learning how to use new technology. I think I've learnt more about computers in two days here than I have in two years in school."

One of the big attractions of B2C for students from Drimnagh Castle CBS Dublin is the learning environment, although they don't describe it that way. "It's a much cooler place to be than school," says 15-year-old Aaron Butler. "Sometimes in the classroom you can be afraid to ask questions, as everything is moving fast and there are exams and other worries. But here the atmosphere is more relaxed. Yesterday one mentor spent an hour explaining to us how to do something we didn't understand, which I thought was great." "At school you're always stuck at a desk," says David O'Hara (16). "Here you can walk around and enjoy yourself a bit more. Everyone wants to be here and you don't even notice you're learning."

"We're using a new programme called Moviemaker," explains Niall Evans (16). "We use video, music and text and learn how to edit them and put them all together. I would love to go to university and do something with computers. It's good to be working and learning in such a creative way."

CREATIVITY IS in no short supply here. One project has students designing a new product and then creating an ad campaign for it. Self-updating newspapers, special glasses to look at cherished memories, virtual shopping where products bought online appear moments later in your home as well as something called Straight'n'Shine, which makes curly hair straight, are just some of the new items we may find in the near future thanks to B2C.

Two schools per week are brought in by the B2C team and the maximum number is 25. "Generally we try and find one all-boys school and one all-girls school and mix them, as team-based projects work better with a mix," says Lawlor. "The boys tend to try harder but the girls act as better moderators for the group. We also get quite a few non-Irish national students. Those with limited English enjoy the experience because the 'learning by doing' approach is easier for them."

The B2C team are looking for support in order to open up more centres around the country. The response in the Dublin area has been very positive from students and schools. "We once built an actual bridge in Trinity with the help of a senior civil engineering lecturer," says Lawlor. "The engineer later said to me that even though he had been teaching students about how to do this for years, this was the very first time he'd actually gone out with a group and done it!"

For information see  www.suas.ie or contact David Moffitt at  davidm@suas.ie