This year we are celebrating year ten years of the University of Brighton Saturday clubs delivered by the outreach team. Hundreds of secondary school students in years 9-11 have benefited from attending clubs in subjects as diverse as photography, science, architecture, mechanical engineering, printmaking and fashion.
The Saturday clubs are targeted at groups which are under-represented at universities, for example young people who live in low participation postcodes, children in care, free school meals and other widening participation criteria. This work supports our Access and Participation Plan (APP) target to reduce the gap in participation in HE from students in underrepresented groups by 2024/25.
Students come onto campus every week to work with academics and gain hands on experience using our industry standard facilities, as well as learning from and chatting to student ambassador’s about subject areas they are interested in and finding out more about what it’s like to be a student.
Our flagship Formula 24 Saturday Club has been running since 2018 giving students in our local partner schools hands on engineering experience. And more recently, with the expertise of our Digital Outreach Coordinator James Barron, we have developed and delivered an online photography Saturday club. The four-week project was led by photographic artist Lindsey Smith with one of our current BA Photography student ambassadors and local students from partner schools took part from the comfort of their own home! At the end of the project, all of the work created was shared and the young people were encouraged to give critical feedback as well as curate their work as part of an online showcase.
We’ve had some really positive feedback about the clubs, from the students as well parents and carers such as: “I just wanted to let you know the my son absolutely loved taking part in the first session today! Normally I get the typical teenage grunt when I ask about his day, but he was full of it when he got home today and can’t wait for the next one. It sounds like an amazing opportunity and I just wanted to say thanks to all involved.”
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