5 June 2026
5 June 2026
Maynooth University (MU) recently welcomed students from second-level DEIS schools across Kildare to campus for a Campus Experience Day designed to build confidence, raise aspirations and deepen understanding of higher education.
The event formed part of Building Futures, a collaborative programme involving MU, Glenveagh, County Kildare Leader Partnership (CKLP) and jumpAgrade, which supports students as they explore future education and career pathways.
Delivery of the programme at MU is led through the Maynooth University Access Programme (MAP), which works with schools to support engagement with higher education through outreach, academic supports and on‑campus experiences.
During the day, students took part in a hands-on design challenge developed and delivered by MU’s Department of Design Innovation. The challenge invited students to respond to a live University brief by developing ideas for a proposed student commuter hub and breakfast club on campus.
Working in teams, students developed and presented their ideas to university staff and Glenveagh industry representatives, strengthening their collaboration, creativity and communication skills while gaining insight into how design, innovation and industry connect in practice.
The campus event built on earlier engagement delivered in DEIS schools across Kildare, where senior cycle students took part in creative design workshops coordinated through MAP. Working alongside MU students and Glenveagh partners, they used design thinking to explore what an inclusive, welcoming and sustainable university campus could look like.
For many participants, the Campus Experience Day offered an important opportunity to experience university life in a supportive setting and to see higher education and professional careers as both realistic and relevant.
The event is one part of the wider Building Futures programme, which combines creative engagement with targeted academic and wellbeing supports for students from DEIS schools.
Between October 2025 and March 2026, the partnership delivered more than 280 hours of targeted academic support across eight DEIS schools in Kildare. This included one-to-one and small-group tuition for Leaving Certificate students in Maths, Irish, English, Chemistry and Biology, delivered by jumpAgrade.
Students who took part in the programme reported increased confidence, reduced anxiety and improved motivation in relation to their education, with one student describing feeling “much more in control” of their learning and “less stressed about school”.
Dr Rose Ryan, Director of Access at Maynooth University, said: “This partnership shows what is possible when schools, universities and industry take young people seriously. Young people weren’t brought onto campus to be shown around, they were invited to think, question and create.
"They met people working in the sector, explored future campus spaces, and shared ideas that will help shape how the University develops. That combination matters. It says to future students that your ideas count, your perspective matters, and you have a place in conversations about the future.”
Commenting on the Building Futures programme and the Maynooth University Campus Experience Day, Annette McGarry, Head of Community Engagement at Glenveagh, said: “This partnership is proving to have a meaningful and measurable impact among students in local DEIS schools, and we are delighted to see the positive benefits that students are experiencing from participation.
The Building Futures programme is integral in our efforts to support communities. Through this programme, we can help younger people from under-resourced areas to build their confidence, aspirations and realise the career opportunities that are within their grasp particularly within the construction industry.
“Without the support of our many partners, including Maynooth University, CKLP and jumpAgrade, the positive experience that this programme brings would not be possible and we thank them for their involvement.”