A visit to Manchester University
THE magnificent seven from Fearns Community Sports College, Stacksteads, showed they knew how to plan and deliver a campaign.
Fearns’ pupils make regular trips to Manchester University as part of the Gateway Project, a scheme aimed at giving them a taste of university life.
The seven Year 10 students were on their last trip of the year and they got to meet more students in their 20s who took a gap year or worked while they decided what to study.
Against strong opposition from another four other teams from all over Manchester, who each brought 12 students, Fearns’ pupils were challenged to create a campaign, elect a creative team, a lobbyist and a spokesman.
Delta Eaton had previously been on an enterprise challenge with Burnley Football Club where her team came up with ways to boost female attendance at football matches – and they won through to the regional final.
She said: “The past experience I had with the football club helped. I was confident we would do well because we had strong candidates.”
A creative team of Delta, Shelley Newell and Chloe Shepherd, all 15, designed an eye catching promotional poster.
They then presented in front of around 50 fellow students, and their campaign was picked as the best.
Having first visited the university in Year 7, when the size of the campus appeared scary to the new high school students, their return in Year 10 was all about making sure that university was something they realised was attainable.
Delta said: “In Year 7 I didn’t think I wanted to go to university, but now I am thinking about it.”
Careers co-ordinator Katherine BollardWilkes said: “The task was all about democracy, the Students’ Union and they had to write a manifesto.
“This time they also learnt about budgeting and the mature students explained that although going to university seems expensive there are bursaries and there is funding support and you can get better jobs.
“It made them realise that anyone can go to university and if they are uncertain at the moment they can always do something else and then return at a later stage.
“This was the best Gateway trip I had been on and the group engaged so well with everyone.”