Widening Participation Outreach

What we do

The Widening Participation Team at Coventry University and throughout the CU Group offer specialised support to ensure learners have fair access to higher education. We aim to remove barriers, provide information and aid transition in order to make our education accessible for all.

We currently work with the following groups:

• Looked After Children and Care leavers
• Young Carers
• Students with disabilities
• Mature learners
• Students from Low Participation Neighbourhoods
• Refugees

We provide information, advice and guidance to these learners, should it be regarding the financial packages available or the pastoral support on offer at Coventry University or talking through the different styles of flexible education Coventry University can provide across our campuses in Scarborough, Coventry and London that might be better suited to those with extra needs and responsibilities.

If you believe you can benefit from our support, then please contact a member of the team directly using the profiles or via wpteam@coventry.ac.uk.

Projects

• UNIty

  UNIty has been developed in partnership with Coventry and Warwickshire Virtual Schools; to provide Looked After Children and Care leavers with opportunities to experience higher education with Coventry University and CU Group.

  The project aim is to raise awareness of post-16 education; by delivering impartial information relevant to individual’s own circumstances and ambitions for their future. Whilst providing the opportunity to be part of a series of subject specific, masterclasses delivered by academics and student ambassadors as well as offering interactive and informative workshops with our student services. This bespoke series of events runs throughout the academic year and is offered to young people in Year’s 10-13+ in Coventry and Warwickshire areas.

  We work in a number of Young Carer Associations delivering online workshops, bespoke on-campus and outreach events to meet the needs of the young people. Providing the opportunities for young cares to experience higher education through subject specific, masterclasses delivered by academics and student ambassadors as well as offering interactive and informative.

• Connect - Bridging the gap to university

  We believe it’s important for everyone to access higher education, should they wish to do so. Therefore, we created Connect, a short course designed to prepare adults to get back into education. This free course provides information on how to progress to university, the skills needed to succeed and exploring student funding and bursaries for mature learners. Workshops are designed to be short and engaging to fit around your commitments such as work and child care.

Activities

Our award winning activities look to engage all young people, no matter their where they live in the UK or their social economic background. Our aim was to create a series of offline activities to tackle the ‘Digital Poverty’ and the increasing digital divide for those young people classed as WP. We are mindful of that a large number of young people and their families have very limited access to the internet and devices. Therefore, these activities require as little or no access to a device or the internet, to support those who don’t have access to devices but also to encourage time away from screens.

• Draw Your Future: Are you a creative person? If so, this activity is for you! Students will receive three post cards of black and white images representing our campuses, which they can colour in, however you like! The fourth postcard is blank, this is where their design skills come in; We would like them to create a design which represents their future this might include university, college, apprenticeship or their future career.
• New Beginnings: A wellbeing activity. Feeling creative or want to get a few things off your mind? Then, this activity can help. We have created self-standing 3D thought trees! Yes, that’s right: mini trees. This activity is an opportunity for you to think about the past 12 months. A chance to reflect on your personal experiences of living through a global pandemic and how it has affected your life and others; whether that’s in a positive and/or negative way. It’s also an opportunity to plan for the future and think about your hopes and dreams for the next year. Not to mention it can help relieve stress and anxiety.
• The Neon Envelopes: A pen pal project where young people exchange hand-written letters with our current students. This project allows the young person to take time to write to their chosen ambassador; sharing their thoughts and ideas for the future and gain insight and support from our students direct to their door. The young person will receive a pack with everything their need, which will allow them to respond back including free post envelopes. Then look forward to the NEON envelope landing on your doormat!
• The World of Nursing: This activity is for those interested in a career in Nursing. Come with us as we explore the various environments a nursing degree can led (it’s not just hospitals and GP clinics!). Hear from our current student nurses, learn about the different types of equipment nurses use and what healthy poo looks like!