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Strand 2 

Strand 2 - Making the difference: student ambassadors

ambassadorsAim

The overall aim of Strand Two 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.

Description

Strand Two 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, is 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).

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 selfesteem, confidence and future aspirations.

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 such as e-mentoring.
  • CPD sessions such as community settings

Audiences

  • Current HE students from all Peninsula HEIs and FEIs delivering HE.
  • Academic support staff.
  • Parents
  • Community leaders
  • Young people
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