2006-2008 Aimhigher Peninsula Strand 2

 

Developing the Student Resource

Main Contact:

Michelle Austin, Student Ambassador Coordinator, College of St. Mark and St. John, Student Services, Derriford Road, Derriford, Plymouth PL6 8BH

Tel: 01752 636700 x8214 Email: maustin@marjon.ac.uk

 

Outline

Strand 2 is focused on developing the widening participation student resource and is based at the College of St Mark and St John in Plymouth. Now in its fifth year of operation, the strand is building on the success of having deployed some 300 HE students across the South West Peninsula. A small and friendly team, which comprises Michelle Austin, Olivia Craig and Grace Adamson, are responsible for the recruitment, training and deployment of all Peninsula Programme student ambassadors and e-mentors.

The strand has a dual focus. The first is for current HE students to work as role models, often recruited from similar backgrounds to the groups that they work with, to raise the aspirations and awareness of HE. The student can work in a variety of roles - from ambassador, sharing their own HE journey and experiences, to tutor, planning, developing and delivering workshop sessions in their chosen subject. These roles can be undertaken through a variety of mediums including taster sessions, short residential HE visits (Strand 1), community settings (Strand 5), continuing professional development (CPD), and school sessions (Strand 3), working with young people with disabilities, in-school and the community (Strand 8) and with work-based, work-related learners (Strand 7).

The second focus, although of equal importance, is for the student ambassadors, through their participation, to ‘earn while they learn’. This serves to enhance their own career opportunities through credible work experience and, with pastoral guidance and support, to raise their own levels of self-esteem, confidence and future aspirations.

Aim

The overall aim of Strand 2 is to identify, recruit, train and deploy current higher education (HE) students, from all collaborating higher and further education institutions in the peninsula, to work as student ambassadors and e-mentors on widening participation activities.

Task

Recruitment, selection, training and deployment of Student Ambassadors for all appropriate programme activities. Development of schemes of E-mentoring.

• Deliver the Student Ambassador facility.

• Building on good practice to support other Strands.

• Working across the whole region.

• Responsive to demand with precise placement.

• Further developing E-mentoring partnerships with schools/colleges.

• Using Student Ambassadors’ experience to encourage and raise aspirations of target groups.

• Provide role models (‘you can do it’) of successful achievement, development and retention in HE, including for vocational aspiration raising work.

Sample Activities

Interaction with HE student ambassadors through:

• Training sessions - covering communication skills, confidentiality and boundary setting, careers development (using their practical experience as evidence for their CVs) and the obligatory role-play.

Deployment of HE student ambassadors through:

• Taster sessions and short residential visits.
• Extra curricular school activities: e-mentoring.
• CPD sessions: community settings.

Audiences

• Current HE students from all Peninsula HEIs and FEIs delivering HE.

• Academic support staff.

• Parents.

• Community leaders.

• Young people.

In terms of external targeting, the strand, operating as primarily a servicing role, will reach the target groups identified by the strand that they will serve.

Internal targeting, that of recruiting current HE students, will focus on student from similar backgrounds to the groups that they service, ie from lower socio-economic backgrounds as well as disabled students and those from currently underrepresented ethnic groups.

Other Contact Details

Grace Adamson

College of St. Mark and St. John, Student Services, Derriford Road, Derriford, Plymouth PL6 8BH

Telephone 01752 676300 x8214 Email gadamson@marjon.ac.uk

 

Predecessor to this Strand 2003 - 2006 in the Archive