UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL
Students get a taste of University life
Bristol University hosts three Summer Schools [15-20 July]
This week Bristol University is playing host to over 150 students from all over the UK who are finding out what university life is like at three residential summer schools: the Higher Education Summer School, INSIGHT and the Sutton Trust Summer School.
This is the second year the University has hosted the Higher Education Summer School. This new, Government-funded summer school is aimed at gifted and talented young people from selected inner-city areas. It forms part of the Government's Excellence in Cities initiative.
Around 40 female sixth-form students from schools around the country are experiencing a taste of engineering at Bristol's third INSIGHT programme. The programme aims to encourage young women to consider engineering as a career. On Wednesday [July 18], students attending INSIGHT 2001 will spend a day in industry shadowing engineers as part of the week-long programme.
One hundred and ten state-educated students are attending Bristol's fourth successive Sutton Trust Summer School. The Sutton Trust Summer School is for 16- to 17-year-olds, who will be given the opportunity to enrich their A-level studies and be encouraged to apply to top universities.
The Summer School is funded by the philanthropist Dr Peter Lampl through the Sutton Trust, which aims to support academically able young people from non-privileged backgrounds and to raise their aspirations so that they gain access to the best possible higher education.
But the week will not be all work and no play. In addition to their academic programme, students will be able to choose from a range of activities with current students at the Students' Union, including drama, and from a range of sports including Ultimate Frisbee, cricket and football.
The University hopes that by the end of the week the students will be convinced that higher education and engineering is for them.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Professor David Evans, said: 'We are delighted that we have been able to invite a record number of students to these events. The summer schools are exciting and important opportunities to promote universities in general and Bristol in particular in schools that have little or no record of generating applicants for university places. We hope to attract many more bright and committed students from disadvantaged backgrounds.'
Professor Joe McGeehan, Dean of Engineering, commenting on INSIGHT 2001, said: 'This is a great opportunity to promote engineering to female sixth-formers who might not normally consider it as a career. We also hope they will see Bristol as a good place to be a student.
'The University is, of course, keen to attract well-qualified students of either sex. But, since females are under-represented in engineering, special 'women only' initiatives, such as INSIGHT, are fully justified.'
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Email: public-relations@bristol.ac.uk
Copyright: 2001 The University of Bristol, UK
Updated: Friday, 20-Jul-2001 09:34:21 BST