Term One in a Nutshell.

Hey everyone, it’s Liv here! Term two is now in full swing at Citywise, so I thought it would be a good time to take a short walk down memory lane and highlight some wonderful things we did during term one!

Firstly, we launched several new clubs’ last term. First up is Code Club Intermediate which acts as the bridge between block coding and written code. In this club we try to focus on practical coding for external devices.

We have also started three new clubs for secondary school kids under our Engage Project, which is funded by the RTE Late Late Toy Show Appeal 2021. Creative Art Studio focuses on using different techniques and mediums to help participants progress their artistic skills. Gaming Club allows young members to sample different games and meet new people with the same interest as them. Meanwhile, our Games Room, which is open almost all days (except for Tuesdays), allows young people to come in and have a friendly game of FIFA on the Xbox or a quick game of table tennis and pool.

Our Engage Project also saw the introduction of our Adventure Club. Term one was an outdoorsy one as we have hosted several hikes in the Wicklow Mountains. Here at Citywise we aren’t afraid of any weather or a little bit of rain (or a lot of rain). The idea behind the hikes was to encourage young people to spend more time in the Great Outdoors and to plant a seed of adventure. Speaking of adventure, hopefully we’ll see you on our next hike?

Our Fast Track strand was also busy embarking on a new endeavor with the Citywise Soc., a new society which reunites past Fast Track Academy members who are now embarking on their third level journey. With a mix of social events and guest speakers, the Citywise Soc supports our members and allows them to reengage with their Citywise peers. They are also planning something super-secret for June, so make sure to check back to see what they were up to.

Last term also saw the return of Rewards Days for primary schools, where classes with rewarded with a visit to Citywise for a day filled with fun activities across all our strands, from Monet styled paintings of ponds to crazy music coding in STEAM.

Our female leaders from the Leadership programme had an entire day of training in outdoor activities in Masseys Woods, followed by an overnight retreat at Laurel Lodge, where they continued their training. But don’t worry they still found time for some board games and a movie or two. Unfortunately for our male leaders their outdoor training took place indoors, but I’m sure they will have plenty of opportunities to practice their skills during our Easter and Summer Camps.

During the midterm break we hosted Activity Days for our young members and some even got to go to Google, where they got a tour of their facilities and the opportunity to ask staff questions, about their job. They even left with some Google socks, how cool is that?!

November brought Collage Awareness Week to Citywise. Volunteers wore stickers with the name of their university and students were encouraged to ask questions or seek advice.

One of the biggest events in November was our Open Day / Evening. The daytime part of the Open Day welcomed schools, teachers, and parents. The main aim of it was to spread awareness about our awesome clubs and services. The evening part was all about our new extension. Did you know we are planning to build a new Climate, Language, and Science Center?

Seanad na nÓg hosted a workshop session for young people from around the country to discuss Minority Voices, Major Change. Our leaders were lucky enough to be part of this workshop and had the opportunity to discuss issues and work on possible ways to change them. As always, they done an amazing job at representing both Citywise, and the community of Jobstown.

Lastly, November brought the participation of our Junior Art Club in an art exhibition, for which they had to make black and white art pieces. The aim of the exhibition was to raise awareness and fuds for the Motor Neuron Disease. We were happy to be part of such an amazing cause.

As days became shorter and December came knocking on the door, a long-awaited guest appeared in Citywise. Saint Nick brought some of his Christmas magic and teleported his grotto to our building, spreading smiles and gifts to kids close and far.

This magic filled the entire building, and you could really see it, from the Christmas tree in the atrium, through to the Leadership dinner filled with the best food you could ever have! Our young leaders also organized a Family Quiz to raise money their participation in the World Youth Day, which is in Lisbon this year. Better get your shorts and flip flops ready.

Lastly, we ended term one on a bang, Citywise went ICESKATING! The day was filled with laughter, off key singing in the bus and some figure skating worth shows on the ice.

We already know that term two will be even better! So, all that is left for me to say is Welcome Back!