Terrified of doing something ‘wrong’, eating with the wrong fork at a formal dinner, not having the answer when someone asks ‘what school did you go to’? Desperate to find your tribe, to fit in?
Not everyone gets prepared for university while they’re at school.
Disadvantaged students are less likely to get good grades in their first year, more likely to drop out before their second year and less likely to graduate with a 1st or 2:1 in their final degree.
Through our Join the Dots programme, we are working to bridge the gap between school and university. Positive transitions give a student the best possible start to their university journey and help them build a sense of belonging, academically and socially.
Join the Dots is building a network of students and universities across the country, supporting strong degree outcomes and driving upwards social mobility.
That’s where you come in. We are looking for businesses and individuals to support Join the Dots and help build the workforce of the future. One where no one feels like an outsider, no matter where they went to school.
Email us today to find out how you can support Join the Dots.
Join the Dots has been found to have a positive impact on all three intermediate outcomes we look at: academic self-efficacy, use of metacognitive study strategies, and sense of belonging at university. These all support the long-term outcomes we expect to see, i.e. for students to continue into second year of university and complete their degree course with a strong degree.
We know that students from less advantaged backgrounds often lack the support, guidance and professional networks available to their more advantaged peers. We would like to invite volunteers from our supporter firms to share their expertise and experience with school and university students, to open their eyes to the different opportunities available to them during and after university through in-person and virtual careers and employability sessions.
Colleagues can also support The Brilliant Club by taking part in fundraising challenges and events, to further increase the impact of a partnership.
Lots of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including me, miss out on developing the key skills required for university when they are at school. I think that the work of The Brilliant Club is really important because, whilst students from disadvantaged backgrounds often get financial support, there isn’t a lot of other support available. Having a coach really helps to identify the gaps in your knowledge and skills and develop them.
Contact us to discuss how you or your business can get involved.
Email our Fundraising Manager, Eve Saunders, via the button below.
We know that university education changes lives, by promoting upward social mobility and improving the economic prospects of individuals and communities, with graduates from the most competitive universities more likely to access professional careers, have higher rates of life satisfaction and, on average, earn £10,000 more per year than their peers.
The Social Mobility Commission has found that those from the most advantaged backgrounds are 60% more likely to access a professional career than those from less advantaged backgrounds.
Advanced skills are currently in high demand, as an example the shortage in STEM skills costs employers £1.5 billion a year.
The Brilliant Club wants to work with businesses who are committed to supporting more young people from diverse backgrounds to access as well as succeed at the most competitive universities and become equipped to take on leading roles in a range of professions across society.
Email us to discuss supporting our flagship university access programme, The Scholars Programme.
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