Outreach Issue 18 @Warwick Spring Edition 2020 Welcome back to the Widening Participation and Outreach Team Newsletter! Read on to find out more about what we’ve been up to over the past few months. Student Progression Team 2020 We kicked-off 2020 with a bang by thoroughly enjoyed running these SPT is now in its 9th year and the WP launching this year’s cycle of the sessions and we were all sad to see the team has thoroughly enjoyed running Student Progression Team for local sessions come to an end. the project again this year. We would like schools! to thank all of the schools involved in the programme for their support: Campion The Student Progression Team (regularly School, Harris Church of England shortened to SPT) is a group mentoring Academy, Nicholas Chamberlaine, project for Year 8 and Year 9 students in Sidney Stringer Academy, Trinity Catholic the local area. Small clusters of students School, Barr’s Hill School, Ernesford from these year groups were matched Grange Community Academy, Lyng Hall with a current university student and School, North Leamington School, Stoke then had a series of sessions with Park School, Whitley Academy, Bishop them. The project launched in January Ullathorne, Finham Park 2, Foxford in-school with an hour-long session, School, West Coventry Academy and allowing the students to get to know Westwood Academy. We wish all of their their mentors. It was all hands-on deck in students the best of luck for the future! the WP team to run 16 launches during the week! Our Programmes in Numbers… To celebrate the end of the project, the This term the WP team have…* Year 8s and Year 9s, along with their teachers, were invited to the University Attended in-school events in March for a Campus Day. During the 38 day, students explored the campus Held on-campus events where with their mentors, met some more 12 university students working as Student children attended Ambassadors, took part in a society 500 The mentoring sessions following the taster session and completed a short Hosted School Warwick Visits with launch focused on a range of different group project. A particular highlight 3 topics including: GCSE options, future were the sessions offered by the Magic over 100 students in attendance pathways, university life, careers Soc, Quiz Soc, First Aid Soc and Warwick *accurate at time of print and study skills. The mentors have Animal Society! University Explorers Young Carers Sutton Scholars A Spotlight on British Inside this issue: Awareness Day Virtual Campus Science Week Pathways to Banking Sessions University Explorers Young Carers Awareness Day 2020 University Explorers is run in engineering. Student Societies, such ambassadors about the forces acting The Widening Participation Team alcohol. They might provide physical Participation team is working hard to collaboration with Coventry and as Improv Theatre and Gaana Dance on the gliders. I had a lot of fun celebrated Young Carers Awareness or emotional support to the cared for ensure that as many young carers as Warwickshire Virtual Schools for energised the group and the Arts working with this group, and I hope to Day at the end of January by inviting or for siblings. A young adult carer possible have the opportunity to access children in Year 6 currently in Local Centre allowed Explorers to embrace meet more University Explorers next staff from Warwickshire Young Carers is someone aged 16-25 who carries our programmes and activities. Authority Care. Now in its fifth year, their creativity as they were taken on year!” and Young Carers Coventry onto out these responsibilities. According the project gives young people the an adventure around the University campus to raise awareness amongst to the Carers Trust, there are at least To mark the occasion, the WP team opportunity to explore University campus. Many thanks to colleagues Each week our young people students and staff. 700,000 young carers and 376,000 supported Warwickshire Young Carers over four Saturdays through a and students across the University of worked in teams to work on their young adult carers in the UK. Many with their brilliant social media campaign variety of activities, aiming to build Warwick for supporting with fantastic ‘University Explorers Challenge’ A young carer is someone under young carers and young adult carers – focusing around what/who “A young confidence and motivation in sessions, allowing many of our young working together to design their the age of 18 who helps look after can find balancing their caring role carer is…” – and set up a stall with them addition to experiencing a range people to explore new topics for the own university campus, deciding on someone in their household who with their school-, college- or work- and Young Carers Coventry in the of exciting subject taster sessions. first time and to experience many subjects their students would study is ill, disabled or misuses drugs or life challenging and the Widening University’s Students Union to speak to Young people work closely with their of the fantastic opportunities the and most importantly which catering students and staff about what being a expedition leaders, University of University of Warwick offers. outlets would be available on campus! young carer means. We ended the day Warwick students, throughout the The Explorers presented their projects by attending the University’s staff carers four weeks to support them through The engineering session was to their carers on week 4 of the project network to speak to staff members with their University Exploration journey facilitated by Helen Luckhurst and it was great a culmination of caring responsibilities about supporting and allowing them to explore the and Amelia Westbury from WMG, their hard work and their confidence this group of young people. university. supported by HVM Catapult, where flourish. We received some fantastic they facilitated a practical activity in comments from carers and supported The team thoroughly enjoyed The Explorers have taken part in which children made paper gliders – at the end of the programme, with supporting the young carers centres an exciting range of subject taster Helen has said: many noting that the project has and were very grateful to be given the sessions, ranging from debating boosted confidence (particularly when opportunity to support such a fantastic whether batman or superman should “I was impressed by the children’s meeting new people), self-esteem and day! For more information about the take over our government with PAIS enthusiastic approach to the iterative resilience. centres and the support they provide to to finding aliens in the Planetarium design process: making, testing and young carers, please go to: with Physics, taking part in thought adapting their hooped gliders. They www.warwickshireyoungcarers.org.uk/ adventures of pirates with Philosophy drew on their scientific knowledge, and www.youngcarerscoventry.com/ and designing paper gliders with having good discussions with their Year 12 Pathways to Banking & Finance Warwick Sutton Scholars visit Deutsche Bank Virtual Campus Sessions On Tuesday 28th January 2020, 49 Over the last month, our year 9 cohort on the Teams platform in a fun way mentors will also be reviewing how Year 12 students on the Pathway to has been engaging in two Virtual and it definitely worked. Our second the young people have worked and Banking & Finance programme took Campus Sessions. Never having event was focused on helping the developed as a team which is one of a coach down from the University of run our events online, it was a quick groups finish their research projects the key skills we are really interested Warwick to Deutsche Bank in London. learning curve to try and set these up on food and sustainability. Lots of in at Warwick Sutton Scholars. Finally, The students arrived at 12pm and using Microsoft Teams Live Events. hard work going on with the young one of the highlights running these were joined by students from the Our first event was a Quiz Group people reviewing and analysing online events has definitely been to Pathways programme at LSE. Competition where the young people all of the research done over the re-connect with the young people were competing in three rounds last academic year, finalising their and hear their thoughts about how All the students had a welcome talk against other groups, rehearsing intervention design and compiling it they are managing to relax and stay from James Rivett (pictured below) their knowledge of our project theme all into a winning portfolio! A team positive during the lockdown. Below who works in Investor Relations for this year: Food and the Sustainable of academic judges will be reviewing some examples from our icebreaker the bank. James gave an overview Development Goals as well as being their work to help us identify this year’s Mentimeter surveys! of the day, and encouraged all tested on some mentor fun facts! Our group project winner. But we are not the students to network with In preparation for the last session, included PwC, NatWest, Royal Bank aim was to engage the young people just looking at academic performance, professionals throughout the day and the students were given a briefing of Scotland, Alpha FMC, Augmentum soak in the working environment. from Andrea Macoveschi who and Veritas Investment. works in Professional Recruitment The students then had a talk from an for the Bank. Andrea explained The students then had a closing academic at LSE about finance in the to the students the importance of talk from the Sutton Trust before city before breaking for lunch. After networking and creating a good departing. The students got a huge lunch students had the opportunity impression and gave the students amount from the day, one saying to network with several different some top tips on how to come professionals from Deutsche Bank.