De Montfort University Leicester (DMU), Loughborough University and the University of Leicester are holding their tenth Summer School event to help raise the aspirations of young people in care.
Starting today, the universities, in partnership with local authorities across the East Midlands, are offering their tenth two-day summer school programme to encourage young people in care to participate and engage with the wider opportunities available in Higher Education.
Held across the three university campuses, the summer school delivers exciting and inspirational activities that demonstrate the possibilities of university study.
The partnership between the three local universities was developed in 2005 as part of the pioneering project, ‘The Way Ahead’. This project saw the three universities work collaboratively with the common aim of improving the life chances of young people in public care (also called Looked After Children).
The project, initially funded by the Higher Education Funding council, was led by Leicestershire Aimhigher and sought to enhance the educational outcomes of children in care of all ages. When funding ran out, the three Higher Education institutions continued with the outreach work, embedding their ground-breaking collaborative approach. This work has grown to include campus visit days for both primary and secondary pupils, and an HE Awareness raising training day for foster carers, social workers and other care professionals.
More than 140 attendees aged 16 and over have come through the summer school programme over the last decade and the numbers attending each year have increased from nine in year one, to 20-plus. Young people have travelled from across the whole of the East Midlands to attend the Summer School and care experienced students at all three Leicestershire universities have been involved as positive role models for the young people.
Sokol Hoxha, a former DMU student and summer school attendee, commented: “The programme was bought to my attention by my social worker and I attended both days at three local universities. They were eye-opening experiences. I never thought I was university material but those two days gave me the confidence to think that maybe, one day, I could be a university student.
“After the summer school event, I began a new course at college and tried hard to gain enough UCAS points to make it to university and I was successful. I later started my degree in International Relations and Politics at DMU and I had three brilliant years.”
Sokol, who returned as a Student Mentor on the Summer School in 2010, has since graduated and is employed as a Youth Engagement Worker with Leicester City Council.
SOKOL HOXHA: 'Three brilliant years' at DMU
In 2005, only 1% of care leavers progressed on to higher education compared with 40% of school leavers. Since the project began, the number of looked after children in higher education has increased to 7% and, locally, 15 care experienced young people from Leicester City Council and 12 from Leicestershire County Council, are currently studying at university.
Ryan Ward, Higher Education Guidance Officer at DMU’s Student Gateway, said: “These summer schools are a fine demonstration of collaboration between the three Leicestershire universities and the local authorities.
“Each summer school is a great opportunity for young people in care to experience university life, inspiring them to believe that university is an achievable ambition.
“It is great to hear the young people involved starting to discuss their interests, identifying potential career paths and getting excited about what is available to them.”
This year’s Summer School will be held on 8 July, at DMU and the University of Leicester, and on 9 July, at Loughborough University.
Posted on Monday 6 July 2015