A new partnership between Birmingham City University and IntoUniversity is bringing higher education to the school children of the Kingstanding area in the north of our city.
The landmark collaboration has led to the opening of a £1.2 million education hub, aimed at supporting more young people into pursuing studies at university.
The new operation at Maryvale Community Centre has been renovated to equip it with teaching facilities and new technology to deliver community-based education programmes to over 1000 children in the local area each year.
Five full-time members of staff have been recruited to the centre to deliver daily after-school Academic Support sessions to primary and secondary school children, aspiration-building workshops in partnership with local schools, and a mentoring programme with University students and corporate professionals.
Currently, in parts of Kingstanding, only 13.5 per cent of schoolchildren go on to study at university compared with 78% of young people in parts of nearby Sutton Coldfield. The project aims to have a transformative effect on the community by increasing access to higher education and enhancing employment levels.
The Birmingham centre will have a focus on the arts, the first IntoUniversity centre to do so, and will stimulate children’s understanding and enthusiasm for a wide range of subjects. The classes will be taught by trained Education Workers, preparing young people for life in Higher Education and their future careers.
