News release: Hello campus! Pupils get a taste of student life

Abstract

Pupils from Barrow high schools will discover if student life is all it's cracked up to be when they spend a week at summer school at the University of Central Lancashire. Youngsters from Millom School and Whitehaven School will be staying in student halls of residence on the main University campus in Preston from Monday 29th July to Thursday 1st August for the U-Can@UCLan summer school. A week later, from Monday 5th to Thursday 8th August, pupils from Ehenside School and Park View School will be students for a week. During the day, they are joined by pupils from Preston, Burnley and Blackburn who attend the school on a non-residential basis.

Various sessions are laid on to give the youngsters a taste of university life. Forensic science, electronics, dance and motorsports are all on the menu as are sessions on history, creative writing, land management and painting. Outdoor activities include a range of team sports, horse riding, orienteering and learning how to umpire.

And before settling into their student accommodation for the night, the would-be students from Barrow can go bowling, to the cinema or to a disco laid on by the University especially for the summer schools. Breakfast is served in the refectory each morning before the day's activities begin.

The summer schools are aimed at pupils aged between 12 and 16, mainly from socioeconomic
backgrounds which are traditionally under-represented in higher education. The hope is to raise the aspirations of the young people who attend and to encourage them to consider higher education in the future.

Summer school organiser Myra Hibbert says: "This is a real opportunity for these youngsters to find out what it's like being at University and to help them decide whether student life is for them. Feedback in the past has been extremely positive with many saying they will now consider University education in the future."

29 July 2002
nr079kjf

-ends-

Note to editors: Media are invited to attend sessions at the main university campus on
the mornings of Thursday 1st August and Thursday 8111 August, from lOam to 1 pm.
Pupils and organisers will be available for photographs and interviews. Please contact
Kate Ford for further details on Preston 01772 892481 , 07968 861580.