Queen’s University Belfast recently hosted a special event, Queen’s Day, designed to introduce young people from R-CITY to university life.

R-CITY is a cross-community leadership programme based in North Belfast, offering young people aged 12 to 24 opportunities to gain qualifications, take part in international projects, and develop key skills for their future. Through this partnership, Queen’s aims to highlight the opportunities available in higher education while creating meaningful connections between the University and local communities.

During the day, participants aged 15 - 18 explored Queen’s, through interactive workshops, careers panels and guided tours of facilities. Sessions included a hands-on look at film studies and entrepreneurship, careers discovery activities, and content creation workshops. Young people also toured key campus locations such as the Lanyon Building, One Elmwood Student Centre, and the McClay Library, alongside specialist facilities including the InterSim Centre, Computer Science Building and Biological Sciences Building.

The event gave participants the chance to experience university beyond the classroom. For many, highlights included trying medical simulations, learning about parasites in the lab, and discovering the range of clubs, societies and social spaces on campus. One young person shared:

“Before I came up today I thought it would be a big boring lecture, but it ended up being really fun! The medical simulation centre was brilliant and I think I’d like to work in this area in the future.”

Staff and students at Queen’s also benefited from engaging directly with the young people. Reflecting on the event, Raymond Miller, from the University’s Civic Engagement team, said:

“The big value of days like this is that young people feel they are making a difference. By being on campus, they help our academics and researchers connect their work to real-life experiences, which ultimately strengthens the University’s impact on wider society.”

Codie Waite, a youth worker with R-CITY, highlighted the significance of the visit:

“Some young people may feel that university is out of reach, particularly if they don’t have role models who have gone before them. Events like Queen’s Day help break down those barriers and show that higher education is something they can achieve if they put their mind to it.”

Queen’s Day builds on a series of collaborations between Queen’s and R-CITY, including the Level 4 Certificate in Youth Leadership and Community Action (30 CATS) and career development initiatives. Looking ahead, both partners are committed to developing new pathways to help young people grow their skills, raise their aspirations, and see Queen’s as a place where they belong.

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