Student Leadership and Maths Programme Awards Ceremony

Posted on: 27 March 2014

An awards ceremony celebrating the achievements of over 70 post-primary students who participated in a student leadership and maths programme took place in Trinity College Dublin recently.

The SLAM (Student Leadership and Maths) programme, coordinated by the School of Education, aims to help post-primary senior cycle students develop their mathematical and leadership skills through an 11-week programme.

The programme has been developed and coordinated by senior sophister Neuroscience student, Lydia Flynn, and her undergraduate and postgraduate colleagues from across all faculties within Trinity College Dublin. Students from Trinity gave freely of their time to as part of the Voluntary Tuition Programme. The programme was also supported by the Maths Society and the Dean of Science.

Under the programme, the School of Education held a workshop for the student volunteers sharing relevant literature, games and ideas for resources and activities. Post-primary students, from across Dublin schools, were invited to Trinity to attend courses in maths and leadership. In order to facilitate self-directed learning, students were also encouraged to log-on to KHAN Academy (an on-line mathematics tutoring site) with the SLAM coordinators as their on-line coaches. In addition students took part in presentation workshops, developed their ability to work in teams, and participated in problem solving activities and mathematical games.

Students were encouraged to set up maths clubs in their own schools in order to encourage their younger peers to enjoy mathematics and to provide an additional forum for students to take part in engaging mathematics activities. A number of students also set up coding clubs providing a unique environment for students to learn computer programming. Some 30 maths and coding clubs have been set up in schools as a result of the initiative.

This first year of SLAM has been a huge success with many students showing very positive personal progress in both their mathematics skills and leadership qualities.

Associate Professor of Education, Dr Carmel O’Sullivan, Head of the School of Education, presented graduation certificates to each of the 70 post-primary school students who successfully completed the SLAM programme at a ceremony in the Science Gallery on March 22nd, 2014.

At that event, Dr O’Sullivan acknowledged the support of Aoibhinn Ni Shuilleabhain from the School of Education and Dr Colette Murphy, Associated Professor in Education, in assisting the student volunteers. She congratulated the second level students, their teachers and parents on their outstanding contribution and leadership in developing student run Maths Clubs with their fellow students in school. Dr O’Sullivan also commented on the inclusive approach to maths education for all students in school which the SLAM programme advocated.

It is hoped that this programme will run again next year with the continued, valuable and voluntary participation of students in Trinity and with the support of the School of Education.