Over 160 young people in Birmingham benefitted from Aspiration Days hosted by the University of Birmingham, Oriel College and Aston University
‘Bring it on Brum’ are working in partnership with the University of Birmingham, Oriel College and Aston University to offer a unique series of aspirational taster days for students from the City’s secondary schools as part of this year’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, known locally as ‘Bring It On Brum’.
The programmes are designed to excite and inspire young people about the opportunities available to them to continue their learning in the future and encourage pupils to set their sights and ambitions high.
The University of Birmingham
The first of these days saw 100 Year 7 and 8 students get an experience of life on the Birmingham University’s Campus. A further day is planned for students in Years 9 and 10 in summer 2023.
The students experienced an exciting programme of activities delivered by University Staff and Student Ambassadors on the campus throughout the day, giving a flavour of life and learning at University.
These included:
- A visit to the Lapworth Museum
- An interactive session with the Department’s renewable energies team
- Sports activities in the Sports Centre including Dojo for a karate session and use of the Climbing Wall
“The University of Birmingham’s Outreach Office has a proud tradition of supporting young people from our local communities and we are honoured to be one of the first universities in England to deliver the HAF programme in partnership with StreetGames. We hope the 100 students we will be hosting on campus will have a first-class educational experience and will gain valuable insight about how food is manufactured and the importance of a good diet to maintain excellent health.” Mohammed Ansar Senior Outreach Officer, Student Recruitment and Outreach at University of Birmingham
Oriel College, Oxford
The programme welcomed around 30 Year 10 students to take advantage of a unique opportunity to experience university life at one of Oxford’s oldest Colleges on a two-day residential programme in spring holidays 2023.
The students experienced an exciting programme of activities delivered by College Tutors and Student Ambassadors at Oriel College across the two days, giving a flavour of life and learning at Oxford.
These included:
- An introduction to University life and application from the College’s Admission Tutor
- Talks from undergraduate student ambassadors about university life and study
- A Group learning activity led by College Tutor
- A visit to the world famous Ashmolean Museum for further activities
The overnight stay at Oriel College, Oxford’s third oldest College founded in 1325, aimed to support talented students from schools and areas that are currently under-represented at Oxford, helping to demystify the application process and provide an insight into studying there.
Aston University
A group of 30 young people in aged 11-16 visited Aston University on the 12th and 13th of April to participate in a blended in-person and online programme to develop their digital and entrepreneurial skills. Working with industry leaders in the charity and business sectors, participants received guidance and support through a website, app and webinar series hosted on a bespoke learning platform.
Learners were asked to design, develop and manage their own social action company focused on local community priorities. All participants will be submitted to ASDAN for accreditation. A further programme is planned for summer 2023 and beyond.
Prof Aleks Subic, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive said “Aston University aims to support socio-economic transformations in our city and region. As a deeply civic university, we take great pride in being ranked among the top UK universities for social mobility. The development of digital and entrepreneurial skills in the broader community and inspiring the next generation of leaders is central to our strategy. In line with our strategy and civic role, we are delighted to welcome the HAF Digital Tycoon programme to Aston University and work with the young people from our region on this important agenda.”
Bring It On Brum
By partnering with the University of Birmingham, Oriel College and Aston University to provide these educational outreach days, the programme now hopes to give young people the chance to learn more about higher education and the opportunities they might want to pursue in the future.
‘The Bring it on Brum’ Team is enormously grateful to all the Outreach Staff and Student Ambassadors at the University of Birmingham, Oriel College and Aston University for designing these unique and inspiring opportunities for the City’s students to experience an early taste of what university life can offer. The days are designed to encourage students to set their sights really high, raise aspirations and recognise that an exciting future of learning lies ahead of them’. Derek Peaple, School Lead for Bring it on Brum.
“We’re proud of the work Bring it on Brum is doing to provide safe, fun activities and nutritious food to children and young people during the school holidays. But it is just as important to feed young people’s ambition and give them the chance to learn new things and gain new experiences. We hope these aspiration days will give young people a useful glimpse into the world of higher education, and fresh ideas about what they might want to do in the future.” Jen Carter, Director of Holiday Gap, StreetGames.