Widening Participation

IntoUniversity Partnership

A collaboration between the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow and IntoUniversity.

We are very proud to be part of a ground-breaking collaboration between the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow and IntoUniversity. The partnership is based upon a shared concern for children growing up experiencing poverty and a belief in the power of education to transform young people’s lives. The new centres will provide invaluable long-term support with young people’s educational outcomes and their journey to a positive destination by attaining a place at university or another chosen aspiration.

IntoUniversity began in 2002 as a homework club in North Kensington. They now operate over 30 learning centres and projects. In April 2021, IntoUniversity opened their first learning centres in Scotland, one in Craigmillar and one in Govan, and a third centre opened in Maryhill in August 2021. These centres provide additional educational support to young people aged 7-18 and will work both independently and in collaboration across Edinburgh and Glasgow. IntoUniversity will work in partnership with both The University of Edinburgh and University of Glasgow, as well as other organisations in the local area to embed into the community and complement existing services.

Working closely with local schools, colleges and other agencies, the centres provide after-school academic tuition, mentoring, and programmes to enable young people to achieve their ambitions. IntoUniversity work with young people directly in their communities through a variety of different activities including:

  • Academic support – delivered in centre after school for primary and secondary students. Primary students follow a curriculum that incorporates numeracy, literacy and oracy skills as well as being in line with Curriculum for Excellence. Secondary students receive after-school help with homework, coursework, literacy and numeracy from trained tutors.
  • The FOCUS Programme - structured workshops in partnership with primary and secondary schools to provide information, advice and guidance, support development of key skills and inspire young people to achieve their potential.
  • Mentoring – young people are paired with a university student who provides help with school work, social skills, and confidence-building. The mentors act as role models who have already made it to university, and encourage the young people to think about their futures and raise their aspirations.
  • Employability supportproviding work experience, internships, and networking through the Student Enrichment programme, giving young people further insight into the range of careers available to them and encourage them to think seriously about their futures.

In addition, launching in 2022 IntoUniversity will begin a corporate mentoring programme pairing S5/S6 students with mentors from relevant industries to support their journey to university and throughout the first 6 months of their studies.

 

Find out more about IntoUniversity

Find out more about the IU learning centre in Craigmillar