50,000 primary school children graduate from UCC

For many years, students at UCC have been greeted with the familiar sight of mini-Hogwarts students around campus.

They’re not practicing their magic skills though - they’re taking part in UCC’s popular Junior Conferring Programme, which includes a tour of the campus.

This year, the university is celebrating the landmark 50,000th conferring.

The tours enable younger school children to interact with UCC in a fun and educational manner. Ireland’s youngest scholars are inspired to explore the notion of third-level education. They could join the Harry Potter Society if they choose to go to UCC.

Daily trips see children visiting through the Arch of UCC dressed in ceremonial gowns.

They visit the Aula Maxima, the Stone Corridor and the newly refurbished Crawford Observatory.

Each tour finishes with a junior conferring ceremony, where all children are awarded a junior graduation scroll to record their visit to the University.

"Our school has been bringing pupils to the UCC Visitors’ Centre for a number of years and it is without a doubt one of the highlights of the year for our 6th Class pupils," says Mr Keith O’Brolachain, Principal at Walterstown National School Cobh, Cork.

"The tour itself is pitched at a perfect level for the children and leaves the pupils wanting a taste of more of UCC. Our pupils always leave with an insight in to university life and the endless possibilities that await them."

The college has more than one occassion to celebrate. As well as conferring 50,000 primary school children, the UCC Visitors’ Centre is marking its tenth birthday.

Having opened its doors on 10 August, 2005, the UCC Visitors’ Centre, which runs the Junior Conferring Programme, is now the focal point of welcome and information for visitors to campus – of all ages.

"The great joy of working in the Visitors’ Centre is the daily interaction with hundreds of primary school children who take part in our Junior Conferring Programme," says JP Quinn, Head of the Visitors’ Centre.

"I am very proud of the fact that UCC is the only university in Ireland that operates a programme of its kind. It’s evolved over the years and all of the students who worked here have played a role in developing it and shaping the programme.

"We in the Centre are very encouraged by the support of the university which allows us to provide this experience to schools both locally and nationally.

.@UCCVisitorsCent celebrates its 10th birthday today! Wish them a good one? We'd love to hear any memories you have. pic.twitter.com/ia3bNFqw6s

— UCC Ireland (@UCC) August 10, 2015

"One of our highlights this year has been our George Boole Tours as part of the George Boole Bicentenary celebrations, which have added a new tourist dimension to our operation. We plan on continuing these daily tours way beyond 2016, which will further cement UCC as a must-see tourist destination.

"We have had a great ten years in the Visitors’ Centre and we are enthusiastically looking forward to our future and being an active partner in the UCC community."

To book a school tour or for more information about the George Boole Tours, contact the Visitors’ Centre on [e-mail] or 021 490 1876

A special edition magazine to celebrate the decade since the UCC Visitors’ Centre was founded can be viewed here, including comments from schools, visitors and past staff who have gone on to work all over the world across a variety of professions.