Community Engagement
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2018/2019 Community Engagement Contents | Community Engagement Introduction | Community Engagement CONTENTS 3 Community Engagement 4 Science Shop 30th Anniversary 6 Social Justice Hub COMMUNITY 7 Diversity through Education 8 Project Social ENGAGEMENT 9 Unblocking Potiential 10 Access to Education Photography Competition Ulster University actively seeks to build and engage in sustainable 14 Ceremics First Step partnerships with the primary aim of positively influencing individuals 15 One City, One Story and communities across the region through encouraging achievement, recognising success and improving educational attainment. 16 ACE Celebrations 17 Architecture This year we celebrated the 30-year represent the University in all of our 18 Care Leavers partnership of the Science Shop between local district council areas. Acting Ulster University and Queens University as Companions the Fellows deliver 19 The Songbirds Belfast, supporting staff and students presentations and workshops, participant 20 Aspirations and telling tales from both institutions to engage in action- in community based forums and celebrate based research projects put forward by talent, to increase the visibility and shared 21 Sociology Trip to Windsor Park community and voluntary partners. understanding of the University’s impact at 22 My Laces a local level, while strengthening our civic 23 Tick the Box We introduced the Civic Ambassador networks across Northern Ireland Scheme for Ulster staff to access widening 24 Fostering Aspirations access monies to support community This Annual Review records the wide 25 Community Big Day Out engagement and school partnership range of activities the team have engaged 26 Santa/Elf Run at Christmas activity. in 2018-2019. 27 Creative Arts The department also launched and If you require any further information 28 Care Zone appointed 13 Community Fellows to on these activities, please contact ensure that the community needs and [email protected] 29 Ulster Business School voices continue to be heard by the 30 Student Placement Experience University. The Community Fellows Claire Mulrone Community Engagement Manager 2 3 Science Shop 30th Anniversary | Community Engagement Science Shop 30th Anniversary | Community Engagement 707 Students Science Shop undertook projects 429 Jordanstown 217 Magee 39 Coleraine 74 32 Belfast 30th Community Partners Anniversary Annual Science Shop Awards - Prize fund 191 £1000 won by Science Shop Communication and projects Conselling Students The Science Shop in Northern Ireland is a joint initiative completed between Ulster University and Queen’s University Belfast and have celebrated a thirty year partnership. This high impact partnership whereby community partners between the two institutions, has propose research ideas that been successful in continuing undergraduate or postgraduate to support the community and students complete as course voluntary sector, with one joint work. access point to the knowledge base and rich dynamic resources, The Northern Ireland Science which exist across two of the Shop is member of the Living Universities in Northern Ireland. Knowledge Network the International Network for The Science Shop provides Science Shops. a platform for a mutually beneficial partnership between the University and the community and voluntary sector, 4 5 Social Justice Hub | Community Engagement Diversity through Education | Community Engagement Social Justice Diversity through Hub Education As part of Ulster University’s commitment to civic society in Northern Ireland, the legal talents of our student body are mobilised, through staff Ulster University’s Belfast Campus has hosted the Joint governance, to meet the needs of community-based clients, illustrating the Education Conference held in partnership with the commitment of increasing access to justice for the public. Association of Bulgarian Culture & Education and Engineers Ireland. University staff and students work with • Deliver a mission to ‘enhance effective the Law Centre (NI), Foyle Women’s Aid, participation’, a core element of the ‘fair The focus of the educational event transfer tests to choosing subjects Citizen’s Advice Bureau and the Labour trial’ right guaranteed by international is to support pupils, parents and at GCSE and A Level, routes to Relations Agency to provide advice and human rights law. educators, from ethnic backgrounds, FE/HE including a session on the support in the fields of employment, social • Supervise undergraduate and post- including different language Skills Barometer and accessing security and family law. graduate students to support community- supplementary schools in Northern engineering at University level, based clinical activity with Ireland. The theme of the conference and the requirements for this. Providing the ‘law clinic’ as a civic gateway, ‘Real People, Real Problems, in Real Time’. was ‘Diversity through education Key Speakers included educators Ulster University’s School of Law strives to: is key to success’ and its strategic within Early Years, Principals from objective is to provide access both Primary and Post Primary information to all levels of education and Special Education, alongside in Northern Ireland. University academics and Head of Admissions, providing a rich This event explores and explains environment for parents and young Northern Ireland’s education people to discuss and ask questions systems, covering issues from to the areas of interest to them. 6 7 UlsterProject Law Social Clinic | Community | Community Engagement Engagement Unblocking Potential | Community Engagement Unblocking Potential ‘Unblocking Potential’ is a module, which provides Project participants with an opportunity to return to education. The module is flexible in that it can The course content and class take place over a twelve-week activities allow the student to period, one evening per week identify their learning strengths Social or in a way, that suits most of the and weaknesses. In doing so, class. It is for many, the first step students identify how they learn towards entering into third level and how they can best manage education. ‘Unblocking Potential’ their time to enter into third level Interactive Media student’s complete compulsory interactive media projects is unique, in that it provides the education. with Science Shop community partners/clients. The range and impact of the student, with an opportunity as student projects for Science Shop partners can be viewed on part of the course to reflect on their previous experiences of www.project-social.co.uk learning. The projects on this website are indicative community and voluntary partners across of the eleven-year partnership between Northern Ireland. Interactive Media students at Ulster University and Science Shop community partners. This This year’s students worked with Belfast work engages students in a collaborative Giants, Endeavour, Badminton NI, #123GP, learning process simulating Interactive Media Carers NI, Foyle Search and Rescue, Kidz This course has given me the opportunity to go on industry practices. Club Ballymoney, SAFER, Tollymore National “ to do third level education. I left school with no Outdoor Centre qualifications, I disliked school, and I believed what The Science Shop provides an invaluable I was told, that I would never amount to very much. learning experience, an opportunity for Project Social was shortlisted for Irish students to develop materials for their Education Outreach Award 2019 and won professional design portfolios while meeting Ulster University Distinguished Education Sarah Anne unmet Interactive Media needs for the Excellence Award. a former student of the ‘Unblocking Potential’ course“ 8 9 Access to Education Photography Competition | Community Engagement Access to Education Photography Competition | Community Engagement Access to Education Photography Competition As part of the University Access Plan we are committed to supporting the wellbeing and educational attainment of communities who traditionally would not have direct access to Higher Education. We launched our first Access to Photographs from our shortlisted Education Photography Competition, entrants celebrated: partnering with PwC Belfast and supported by Belfast City Council, • Positive Mental Health, where entrants were invited from • History and Heritage, across Northern Ireland to Celebrate • Sport for Life, Life and Learning in Belfast City. • Health Innovation and Policy • Ageing 10 11 Access to Education Photography Competition | Community Engagement Access to Education Photography Competition | Community Engagement The FINAL Photographs from the Access to Education Photography Competition final at the Belfast Campus. Pictured below (L-R) Professor Raffaella Folli, Hayden Walsh, Professor Alastair Adair and Clare Kennedy, Director at PWC Belfast. 12 13 Ceramics First Step | Community Engagement One City, One Story | Community Engagement Celebrate World Book Ceramics One City, Day with Schools and Community Ulster University joined with children, parents and carers First Step One Story from integrated, controlled and maintained primary schools in the North West in launching the ‘One City, One Story’ reading Reaching into the local communities of North project on World Book Day. and West Belfast Aimed at increasing literacy skills for adults and children The Ceramics First Step Duncairn Centre for Arts together, the initiative, which workshops delivered by and Culture welcomed focused around R.J. Palacio’s Michael