IMMERSE & INSPIRE Immerse & Inspire provides a taste of boarding life
There are some real advantages to living on site – the sports fields and Dining Hall are a short walk away and you don’t need to factor in travel time to school in the morning!
All Year 10 students learn first- hand what life is like as a boarder when they move into Jacobs House for their residential weeks on the Immerse & Inspire programme. It’s the component that is a real surprise to many – they’re out of their comfort zone, in a dorm with seven others, and for some, it’s their first time away from home. Immerse & Inspire tutor, primary school teacher from Dublin Jimmy Healy says the other big factor is that they are not in a dorm with anyone from their own House.
“We mix them up intentionally, so they make a whole new group of friends. There’s an element about that which means they have to be mature enough to handle things. It’s a big learning experience for life after College, and it’s a big lesson in tolerating others. They get a clear appreciation of what the boarders go through.” With the Immerse & Inspire programme now embedded in the Year 10 calendar, many of the current students are excited to be
following in the footsteps of their older brothers and cousins. “In a way, it’s like a rite of passage,” says Jimmy. “And while they’re living in, they get a chance to do some service for the community – a facet that’s linked to the Duke of Edinburgh bronze award which they’re all enrolled in.” This year’s groups have worked in College’s plant nursery and planted out trees in the red
College Issue 39 2020
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