Professor Fluffy Primary Schools Bookmark Competition Launch organised by ACCESS UCC PLUS Programme, Cork

Each November for College Awareness Week, the ACCESS UCC PLUS Programme invites 5th class students from DEIS primary schools in Cork City to enter the Professor Fluffy ‘Design a Bookmark Competition’. This competition asks students to design a bookmark around college, school and learning.

Professor Fluffy is a model designed by the University of Liverpool to widen participation in third level education in disadvantaged areas. The approach aims to inform primary school children in 5th Class about the educational opportunities available to them. The programme uses the Professor Fluffy and Friends characters to raise awareness of the impact of education on improving career and life opportunities, and fosters and understanding of the concept of choice.

The earlier a child thinks about the future, and the earlier they set their goals high, the more likely they are to achieve them. By showing primary age children what higher education is, we can give them something to aim for. It also shows them that higher education and education is not all about subjects that you study in school; it can also be about your hobbies-: music, drama, dance or sports. By introducing primary children to higher education in a fun way we are helping them to see that higher education could be a choice for them.