Architects of Change Phase III, Graduation Ceremony – June 14, 2024

In line with Phase II, Ulster University hosted a graduation ceremony to honour all 146 children for their diligent efforts and newly acquired environmental skills. This event served as an official recognition of the students as architects of change. The project team, aided by the Ulster University Schools Outreach team, organised the ceremony in the prestigious Diamond Hall at the Coleraine campus.

Participants from both inside and outside the organisation participated, including Professor Raffi Folli, the founder and principal investigator of the Architects of Change project, who welcomed the children and spoke about the advantages of environmental education and the need to engage with local schools.

Mrs. Nicole Lappin, the project’s funder and Chair of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive also delivered a poignant speech to the students, illustrating the consequences of their carbon footprint by recounting her morning stroll along the beach. It was evident that this speech deeply resonated with both the children and all those present, making it a highly impactful and emotionally stirring address.

Upon arrival, each child received a mortarboard hat as a tangible symbol of honour and excellence, signifying their dedication to learning about protecting the environment and their communities over the year. Following the conclusion of the speeches, facilitators summoned each child to the front of the auditorium and presented them with a certificate, honouring their accomplishments from the previous year.

After receiving all the certificates, the facilitators, aided by the Ulster University Schools Outreach team, divided the children into groups and gave them a brief tour of the Coleraine campus to ignite their inspiration. After the tours concluded, lunch was served as a gesture of gratitude to the students, instructors, and teaching assistants for their participation in the project.

This also gave the children a chance to celebrate and socialise with their peers in the university environment. The event concluded with a collective display of school photographs with the children donning their mortarboard hats, which they joyfully tossed into the air to commemorate the successful day and the conclusion of the Architects of Change Phase III workshops.

The Diamond Hall exuded an atmosphere of camaraderie and resounded with hearty laughter. It was undeniably a special day of jubilation, evident from the palpable delight on the faces of each child present.