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Summer Camp

The Youth Academy are running two week long summer camps at University of Galway for primary school students this July.

Students will be taught by engaging and friendly instructors who are experts in their subject areas. All courses are highly interactive and use a variety of teaching techniques to ensure students get the most out of their experience at University of Galway. The courses we offer are outside of the school curriculum which allows students the opportunity to make new discoveries in different areas of study, in a fun and interactive way. The Youth Academy also enriches the school experience by enabling students to learn about new and exciting subjects.

Who can apply?

The Youth Academy Summer Camp is open to students in 4th, 5th or 6th class in the 2023/2024 academic year.

To attend Youth Academy programmes primary school students must present one of the following:

The most recent standardised test report showing below result in English, Maths OR Gaeilge. Eligibility is based on their most recent tests. If results are not back from the 23/24 academic year you can use last years results. These results are usually noted on your child's report card. Your school will also have the results of these tests and can tell you if your child is eligible to apply. You will need to submit proof of their test results to support their application.

STen score of 9 or 10
Standardised score of 123 or above
95th percentile or above

2. A copy of an educational psychologist’s assessment with ability scores included and demonstrating high ability. Reports must be submitted no later than 4 years after the date of the educational psychologist's assessment.

Dates and Times

Week 1: Monday 8th July-Friday 12th July

Week 2: Monday 15th July- Friday 19th July

Class time: 10.00am-12.30pm. Students can be dropped off to the classroom from 9.30am

A Graduation Ceremony will take place on Friday 19th July to mark the end of the summer camps and students will receive certificates of participation.

Fees and Scholarships

A fee of €140 for the week long summer camp will apply. If you are successfully selected you will be contacted regarding fee payment after an offer has been made.

Places are allocated on a random selection basis. Due to popular demand and a limited number of places, not all applicants will receive a place.

We have a limited number of scholarships, based on economic circumstances, available for students to attend the Youth Academy free of charge.

If you have a medical card you are eligible to apply for a scholarship. Please apply via the online application form by uploading proof of your medical card details. You can take a photo/scan of your card and upload to the form. 25% of the total number of places we have on offer are allocated on a scholarship basis, so not all who apply for a scholarship will be successful.

Apply Now!

An online application form will be available on our website from Wednesday 5th June until Wednesday 12th June.

Apply online now via our application portal here

Course Descriptions

Students attend one course for the week long summer camp and no prior knowledge is needed. Courses are subject to change.

Not all courses will be available for both weeks of the summer camps.

A world that we cannot see: The secret life of microbes

This course teaches you all about microorganisms, the good, bad and evil! Learn all about their secret world through fun and interactive experiments. Some activities include:

Ever wondered about microorganisms in our food? Uncover how good microbes can be used to make food products. Carry out your own fermentation experiment at home to learn about the process of bread making.
Let's put hand hygiene to the test! You will carry out an experiment using bread to see how many microbes are actually killed when we clean our hands.
Discover the dangerous side of microorganisms and how they can cause disease. You will be shown magnified images of different microbes and learn all about the illnesses they can cause.
Find out how we can fight harmful microorganisms. Discover the world of vaccines and antibiotics, but also how microorganisms can fight back. Can you help the scientist figure out which antibiotics will save the patient?
Finally, you will get to create your own microbe! Decide if you want it to be good or evil and show the class.

Fundamentals of Computer Programming

This course focuses on developing the base of students to start with computer programming in a fun and easy way. A fun-to-do block-based programming tool called Scratch would be learned in the first few classes to develop an understanding of programming. After that, Python would be practiced to learn the basics of programming, which will enable the students to make small projects. The course content is as follows:

What is computer programming and why is it important for kids?
How to create a new project in Scratch
How to use blocks to create simple programs
How to use loops and conditions
Creating interactive games and adding sound and graphics to programs
Understanding error messages
Introduction to text-based programming languages (Python)
Why is Python a good programming language for kids?
Variables and data types
Operators and expressions
Input and output
Conditional statements
Loops
Data visualization (optional)

It is Bond, Hydrogen Bond

“I feel sorry for people who don’t understand anything about chemistry. They are missing an important source of happiness!” - Linus Pauling

Chemistry is part of our daily life: starting from the food we eat to the clothes we wear but is not always easy to understand how it can be a “source of happiness”.

In this course, we are going to do experiments (some of them even reproducible in your kitchen!) and learn how we can scientifically explain the outcome. The idea is to have an insight in our molecular world and make this experience as fun as it can be!

Experiments that we will do includes:

Combining matter to make your own soap
Reproduce a Volcano using acid/base chemistry
Find luminescence in natural product (i.e. spinach leaf or turmeric)
Extraction of strawberry’s DNA
The “Oobleck” of Dr. Seuss

…And much more!

Come along, wear your lab coat and goggles, and have fun!

Sounds Class! Analysing media and making your own radio show/podcast (Week 1 only!)

"Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media. This includes; television, radio, Internet, newspapers, magazines, books, billboards, video games, music, and all other forms of media."

Over this course you will:

Identify programme formats, production features and target audiences of different shows
Start the lifelong habit of active interaction with media, as opposed to passive consumption
Learn basic technical terms for radio, podcast & television production
Use storyboards and running orders to describe how a programme is structured
Plan segments for a show using the broadcast clock
Develop a production plan, divide up team roles, prepare a running order and script for your own show
Look at interview structures, skills, and plan an online audio interview with a person you admire
Use online recording sites, and free to download software to make a short programme which will be broadcast on Flirt FM 101.3, and uploaded to the station's Mixcloud to listen back later
If time permits, design visual assets to promote your show/podcast

Kick off your amazing career in media ;)

Basic Electronics: How an Electrical Circuit Works

This practical course introduces students to basic electronic components and how electric circuits work. Students will create a simple electric circuit to gain hands-on experience and will apply their knowledge in a creative project: making a backlit photo frame. The course covers the flow of electricity, the role of batteries, and how LEDs light up, with hands-on activities including circuit building and photo frame assembly. By the end, students will understand basic electronics and have a completed project to take home.