Please remember that before accessing any of these sites that you must first check with your parent or guardian and ask their permission. These are all third party sites, that means that we have no control over their content. For more information on internet safety for kids and teens please consult Webwise.ie, a great intiative from the National Centre for Technology in Education. You can also check out Internet safety advice by and for teens at NSTEENS.
FUN STUFF
Music Links
Camps, Courses and Activities
Find your inner Scorcese or Di Carprio, learn about filmmaking from script writing, to camera work and design to acting at Camp Hollywood a great course for any budding film directors or actor.
Visit Lough Key Forest Park with camping facilities, playground and crystal maze type challenge.
Puzzle Pirates - "Addictive" - Time Magazine. Enough said.
Nanoquest - Online Game for Teens - "Nanoquest is a pilot project aimed at getting 13-15 year old school children interested in nanotechnology and science generally. To captivate the 'Playstation generation' the medium chosen was a 3D computer game. The game is intended to have fun and challenging gameplay, whilst introducing new nanotechnology concepts through the various challenges."
Star Wars Galaxies - "You've enjoyed watching the Star Wars universe for years. Now's your chance to live in it! In Star Wars Galaxies you can fight alongside Han Solo and Chewbacca, smuggle goods for Jabba the Hutt, defend Imperial stations from the ravages of the Rebels, create your own player city, put yourself in the pilot seat of your favorite Star Wars ship, and more."
Big Fish Games - download pc games and play online. Range of games available from adventure to puzzle. There are also games here for Mac which is a real bonus.
IT Stuff
Wetpaint - Everyone wants a website, right? Well, here you can learn how to make simple and effective wiki pages in three easy steps. Great site for teens who want to develop a social site. Brilliant fun.
Lifehacker - "Tech tricks, tips and downloads for getting things done". A great bloggers site with daily tips for improving your life! Useful even for parents.
BBC - Click - BBC News flagship technology website dealing with all things IT. Find everything from the latest "must have" gadgets to website reviews.
Freshbrain - "the technology exloration platform for teens" - provides views of eight different technologies for projects and activities:
Development
Eco/Green
Gaming
Graphic Design
Music
Venture
Videos/Movies
Web
Random Stuff
Hairybaby.com - Irish online shop with cool T-Shirts etc
XKCD - A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language. Strange and wonderfully weird cartoons await.
Caroline Recommends: Mangahut for reading manga online.
Mocks.ie Brand new Irish website that offers online practice exams for the Junior and Leaving Certs on a 24/7 basis. It also includes a correction service that details a student's strengths and weaknesses. Affordable with prices starting from €13.95 per exam.
MoreSuccess.ie - from Gill & Macmillan, the publishers of Junior and Leaving Certificate revision guides, "More Success, Less Stress". Has study tips, revision guides, podcasts, an e-newsletter and audio tutorials.
Get notes on various subjects, including guides to Shakespeare from Spark Notes, a US website
Skool.ie - Irish education site sponsored by some commercial heavy hittesr such as AIB, Intel, et.c, aimed at secondary school kids and their parents. Includes interative element and study guides to key subjects.
Advice on making the transition from secondary to third level study from Questforlearning.org
Xplora - "is the European gateway to science education. It is aimed at teachers, pupils, scientists, science communicators and science educators."
Science.ie - provides all sorts of information about careers in science, engineering and technology.
My Science Career - Resources for finding out more about a career in science, including some interesting profiles of Irish Scientists.
Head Stuff
Reachout.com - recently launched interactive website for teens, dealing with mental health issues, relationships, sexuality, in fact everything that the average teen needs to know and might be afraid to ask! Also has an online forum.
Find advice about cyber bullying and how to protect yourself whilst online from Watchyourspace.ie
Headstrong - the National Centre for Youth Mental Health, brilliant website for teens in trouble or who are worried about a friend in distress, if you or a friend is in crisis you check out their "Get Help Immediately" page.
Teen Between - " is a specialised support service for teenagers whose parents are going through a divorce or separation." Irish website supported by the Family Support Agency. Also includes a social forum.
Stuff to Make You Think
The Minature Earth Project - if the world's population is reduced to 100, it would look something like this . . . .
SharpBrains - 50 top brain teasers that demonstrate how our brain works. Enough to drive you to distraction! Great fun.
Young Entrepreneurs
NFTE Ireland - "NFTE Irelands mission is to provide entrepreneurship education programmes to young people from low-income communities. Our vision is that every young person will find a pathway to prosperity. "
Young Social Innovators - "fires young people's passion to change the world for good." Be inspired. Become an advocate for social justice. Check the website for details of how you can get involved.
Young Entrepreneur Programme & Awards - Fantastic Kerry based business, community ande ducational initiative. " The Young Entrepreneur Programme is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to illustrating the validity of entrepreneurship as a career choice. It is our mission to help identify, inform, recognise and celebrate Kerry’s next generation of business leaders - and their educators. "
Paul Graham - A Student's Guide to Start Ups - brilliant essay on startups " the average age of the founders of Yahoo, Google, and Microsoft was 24. . . if grad students could start startups, why not undergrads?" Interesting essay for those budding IT entrepreneurs amongst you!
The American Academy of Achievement - " has sparked the imagination of students across America and around the globe by bringing them into direct personal contact with the greatest thinkers and achievers of the age." Find your mentor from these luminaries of the world of business, public service, science, music and the arts.
Cognito.org - " Connecting Young Thinkers around the World" This site from John Hopkins University serves as an online community for academically talented youth. Includes webcasts, news & interviews and a forum. The site also includes a huge links page to the best on the web. Fantastic!
Volunteering Opportunities
EIL Intercultural Learning is an "Irish "not for profit" organisation which provides intercultural learning opportunities through study abroad, volunteer abroad, language training, travel awards, group educational programmes, and other cultural immersion activities for about 2,000 people each year. "
Volunteer.ie - the national organisation with responsibility for developing volunteering in Ireland, both nationally and locally. Check out their information for Youth Volunteers. You can also see what organisations are looking for volunteers by county.
Volunteeringireland.ie - based in Carmcihael House in Dublin's North Inner City,, the largest centre for voluntary organisations in Ireland. Again they have an online database of volunteering opportunities.
Disclaimer: This is not an expert site, it is run on a voluntary basis and as such is based on opinion and experience but we hope that it acts as a signpost for educational resources and other support services for Irish families with exceptionally able children. By using this website you accept that any dependence by you on such information, opinion or advice is at your own risk.
