Adventures and Excursions in 2025
Notre Dame College is committed to providing students with a comprehensive educational experience that extends beyond the classroom. The institution offers a variety of enrichment activities designed to foster personal development, academic success, and cultural immersion.
Recent enrichment activities have seen students embarking on cultural and educational trips, hands-on thematic camps, and overseas expeditions. These experiences offer academic enhancement, personal growth, mentorship, cultural immersion, and real-world experience, all of which contribute to students' overall success during and after their time at Notre Dame College.
During the summer, T Level Health and Health and Social Care, and Applied Science students visited the University of Huddersfield for a Health Professionals Taster Day. Meanwhile, Year 4 and 5 students from Christ the King Primary School participated in the traditional Notre Dame animal racing during Enrichment Days. A separate group of students went on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, an annual retreat for spiritual growth and acts of service.
For those with a passion for art and photography, the Art and Photography trip in Paris included visits to art galleries and cultural exploration of the city. Similarly, the Berlin trip focused on the history and politics of Berlin, visiting sites such as Checkpoint Charlie, the Berlin Wall, and the Brandenburg Gate. An adventurous group of students traveled to China, visiting Shanghai, Xi'an, and Beijing, and exploring iconic sites like the Terracotta Warriors, the Great Wall, the Bund, Pearl TV Tower, and Universal Studios.
The English Department took students to Haworth for the Top Withens Hike, and the Media Department took students to London for a filming locations tour. The 2-week Indonesia Expedition trip focused on ecology and wildlife, with diving training, surveys into Indo-Pacific reef ecology, and research on bats, frogs, birds, and herpetofauna.
Notre Dame's annual Enrichment Days saw Lower Sixth students participating in various activities such as plant re-potting, FIFA tournaments, chess, crime scene profiling, and escape rooms. Staff at Notre Dame decorate and race wooden animals created by the Product Design Department during Enrichment Days, with this year's race being the year of the bear.
One of the standout enrichment programs is the Trailblazer Scholars Program. This voluntary program supports over 200 first-generation undergraduate students with outreach, personal development, and academic enrichment opportunities. It features a full-time director providing one-on-one counseling and mentorship, and introductions to key campus resources like the Counseling Center, Writing Center, and Career & Student Success Center. Workshops support students throughout their college journey—from adjusting to college life to preparing for graduation. Students also gain access to premier internships, research opportunities, and study tours both in the U.S. and abroad.
In conclusion, Notre Dame College's enrichment activities provide students with invaluable experiences that enrich their college experience, broaden their perspectives, and enhance their career readiness. Whether it's cultural immersion, academic enhancement, or personal growth, Notre Dame College is dedicated to ensuring its students have the best possible educational experience.
[1] Source: Notre Dame College Website [2] Source: Notre Dame College News [5] Source: Notre Dame College Blog
- The Trailblazer Scholars Program at Notre Dame College, a voluntary program for first-generation undergraduate students, offers various opportunities for personal development, academic enrichment, and cultural immersion, including premier internships, study tours, and one-on-one mentorship.
- Beyond classroom learning, Notre Dame College's enrichment activities emphasize travel, education, and self-development, as seen in trips to cities like Paris, Berlin, China, and London for exploring art, history, politics, and ecology, as well as learning experiences like thematic camps, health professional taster days, animal racing, and overseas expeditions.
