Campbell College was delighted to be featured on UTV Live this week, showcasing the work of three Sixth Form pupils involved in a joint enrichment project with St Malachy’s College focused on historical research and school archives.

Donal (Year 13, Price’s), Noah (Year 13, Dobbin’s) and Thomas (Year 14, Price’s) appeared on the programme to discuss their research into former pupils and the skills they have developed through the collaboration. The feature formed part of wider coverage exploring how schools can use archival material to bring history to life and enrich learning beyond the classroom.

The joint project, which has run throughout the academic year, brings together Year 13 and 14 pupils from both schools to research alumni who went on to make significant contributions in the medical field. Working with primary and secondary sources, students learn how to handle historic materials correctly, analyse evidence and shape their findings into detailed biographical profiles.

One of the Old Campbellians highlighted during the UTV piece was John T. Shepherd, who attended Campbell College in the 1930s. He later became an internationally recognised expert in Space Medicine. His research played a key role in supporting the Apollo manned space missions and helped facilitate scientific exchanges between the United States and the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War.

The project is supported by Jenna Robinson, Archive Engagement Officer at Campbell College, Conor McGinn, teacher at St Malachy’s College, and former pupil John Gordon, who created the programme to enhance and enrich learning through the use of school archives. It reflects the value of collaboration between schools and demonstrates how archival collections can support curriculum learning, inspire curiosity and develop high-level research and analytical skills in pupils preparing for higher education.

The UTV Live feature provided a valuable opportunity for the pupils to share their work with a wider audience and to highlight the educational power of school archives when they are actively used and explored.

Watch the clip here: https://www.itv.com/watch/news/exploring-each-others-archives/0yd6xby