Editing Trinity College Dublin (section)

===Second-level programmes===
Since 2014, Trinity College's science department has established and operated a scheme for second-level students to study science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}

The system, similar to [[Dublin City University|DCU]]'s [[Centre for the Talented Youth of Ireland|CTYI]] programme, encourages academically gifted secondary students with a high aptitude for the [[Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics|STEM]] subjects, and was named the Walton Club<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tcd.ie/waltonclub/|title=Trinity Walton Club|website=Tcd.ie|access-date=21 April 2017|archive-date=22 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170422040147/http://www.tcd.ie/waltonclub/|url-status=live}}</ref> in honour of [[Ernest Walton]], Ireland's first and only Nobel laureate in Physics. The programme was centred upon a [[pedagogy|pedagogic]] principle of "developing capacity for learning autonomy".<ref name="SiliconRepublic">{{cite web|url=https://www.siliconrepublic.com/careers/trinity-walton-club-inspirefest-2017|title=Trinity Walton Club: Putting students in the driving seat|author=Madden, Shelly|publisher=Silicon Republic|date=18 September 2017|access-date=23 June 2019|archive-date=23 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190623080130/https://www.siliconrepublic.com/careers/trinity-walton-club-inspirefest-2017|url-status=live}}</ref> 

The educators in the programme are PhD students in the college, who impart an advanced, undergraduate-level curriculum to the students. The club was set up with a specific ethos around the mentoring of STEM subjects, and not as a grinds school.<ref name="irishtimes.com">{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/innovation/teens-develop-robot-to-teach-children-basics-of-coding-1.2947895|title=Teens develop robot to teach children basics of coding|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=21 February 2020|archive-date=7 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407180247/https://www.irishtimes.com/business/innovation/teens-develop-robot-to-teach-children-basics-of-coding-1.2947895|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="universitytimes.ie">{{cite web|url=http://www.universitytimes.ie/2017/01/building-a-new-generation-of-scientific-innovators/|title=Building a New Generation of Scientific Innovators|website=University Times|access-date=22 April 2017|archive-date=23 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170423064914/http://www.universitytimes.ie/2017/01/building-a-new-generation-of-scientific-innovators/|url-status=live}}</ref> The scheme has been immensely successful and undergone growth in scope and scale year on year. It has also diversified beyond its traditional weekly club structure, running camps during school holidays to offer an opportunity to study STEM to those unable to join the club.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tcd.ie/waltonclub/camps.php|title=Trinity Walton Club|website=Tcd.ie|access-date=22 April 2017|archive-date=23 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170423065644/http://www.tcd.ie/waltonclub/camps.php|url-status=live}}</ref> 

It has also represented the college in many activities, meeting [[Chris Hadfield]] and attending the [[Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition]] and the [[Web Summit]].{{citation needed|date=February 2025}} Students, or [[alpha particle|alphas]] as they are dubbed in honour of the eponymous physicist, develop projects in the club, with innovations pioneered there including a health-focused [[electroencephalogram]].<ref name="irishtimes.com"/> The club was founded by Professors Igor Shvets and Arlene O'Neill of the School of Physics in Trinity College.<ref name="universitytimes.ie"/>