Become a Bridge to College mentor... 

"I can do a lot more than I give myself credit for" 

"Things you learn at the B2C you will use again in life"  

Testimonials from graduates of The Bridge to College.

"The programme gave our students an awareness of the positives of college life which ensures greater motivation for Leaving Cert, as well as access to new technology and diverse IT programmes"

A comment from a secondary school teacher, whose students attended the Bridge to College Programme.

What started as a Saturday morning mentoring experiment by some college students has turned into a leading constructivist educational project.

Do students learn at school or are they taught? What is the essential difference between learning and being taught?

At Suas, we believe that learning is a door that can only be opened from the inside. Our students arrive on their first morning and are immediately formed into teams, often with young people they have never met before, and all of their learning takes place in these teams. The learning space is inspirational, and the volunteer mentors that guide the students through their projects have varied backgrounds.

One of the first projects that the teams are set is to make a short video introducing their team to the rest of the group. It's common for the students to object that they "can't do that", but they are eager to try. It's very, very different to a normal computer class in school where they are doing something that they find boring (spreadsheet) or already know how to do (sending emails).

Students at The Bridge to College work on projects that they are passionate about, and produce high quality work very quickly. Watch the video below to hear about it in their own words. 

The Bridge to College project is a collaborative project between several different organisations. Trinity College Dublin provides the inspirational building and it is very important to the ethos of the project that it is located on the extended campus. The Centre for IT Research in Education has trained the two staff that are working on the project to Masters level, as well as guiding the curricular and academic development. The Trinity Access Programme has provided the crucial links to second level schools and teachers, ensuring that a broad mix of students are sent to the Bridge to College, and not just those students most likely to go to college.

Suas Educational Development is one of Ireland's leading education NGOs and originally developed this model as a pilot scheme with TCD Suas Society, as well as providing the staff, volunteers and admin support for the Bridge to College.

This is one of the few, and most successful, practical applications of the constructivist learning model and key aspects of it will be reported in a forthcoming academic paper (once published, we can provide copies on request). The project won the well contested Jennifer Burke prize for Innovation in Teaching and Learning in May 2009.