Welcome to Transition Times, a new weekly feature aimed at the 26,000 students taking the Transition Year Programme.

The TYP is about exploring ability and intelligence beyond the Points Race. There are hundreds of exciting projects underway in classrooms around the country and we will explore them in Transition Times week by week with your help. We will also feature industry and celebrity expert tips on TY core skills such as teamworking, research, career choice and role play.

Transition Times replaces Mediascope as The Irish Times classroom resource for Transition Year. As with Mediascope, this page belongs to students and teachers and I hope that you keep sending your letters and emails letting us know what's going on in your TY classroom.

TY students are a force to be reckoned with in every sphere of life these days. Over the coming months you will be amazed to learn about what the TY community is getting up to in schools, workplaces, voluntary agencies and in the media. We kick off this week with a preview of this year's musical line-up. Next week, we'll look ahead to environmental projects on the TY calendar.

It's going to be a great year.