Connection at Grit
Hi all,
It feels like the beginning of each newsletter involves me talking about the challenging and uncertain times we are living in and that’s not changed this month. In the face of this, we have really been emphasising and focussing on connection in Grit: finding new ways to be together and develop together as a staff team, as well as alongside our training team and also with our key delivery partners. It seems so important right now to prioritise the importance of our community, our shared values, the difference we are making and how we can continue to grow and learn together.
So, what has been exciting and inspiring in the Grit world this last month? You can see below the feedback we have been getting from some of the professional teams that have been through a Grit programme – we get very energised thinking about the difference they can now make as they take the impact of the workshop into their roles within Children’s Services.
We’ve also met some new schools, universities and local authorities that are keen to develop programmes with us, it’s really heartening that the appetite for investing in young people’s self-awareness, self-expression and self-esteem seems to be growing in the sectors we are operating in.
Finally I have to mention that we have made three new appointments to the Grit team recently, all of whom are due to start over the next three months. We really can’t wait to welcome them on board to help us grow the reach and impact of the work we’re doing.
Happy autumn everyone and I hope you enjoy reading this month’s round-up. Do keep us posted if there are things you would like to hear more (or less!) about.
Ellie
Grit in press
With the new term getting underway notions of belonging and how we can foster it have been high on the agenda in higher education. On Wonkhe read Re-defining belonging: whose call is it?, Grit’s take on how we can support students' becoming, and belonging, on their terms.
And Grit has joined the Forum for Access and Continuing Education (FACE). It has a membership made up of staff working on lifelong learning and widening participation in universities across the UK. Read on their blog about how Grit is finding kindred spirits in the sector.
Nobody does it better
Professor Sherria Hoskins is the Executive Dean of Science & Health and the Portsmouth Medical School Development Project lead at the University of Portsmouth. Sherria sits on Grit’s Advisory Board.
This is her Grit story.
“I must introduce you to Grit,” said the then Director of the Office of Fair Access (forerunner of the Office for Students), Les Ebdon. He was visiting the University of Portsmouth looking at good practice and we had been talking about my research.
Grit really resonated. As an undergraduate in the early 90s I had a strong sense that I did not ‘fit in’ at University. And there was my research area: growth mindsets especially around confidence, expectation and the impact on attainment. I take a social cognitive approach to understanding how learners’ beliefs about themselves and the world around them impact their motivation, the choices they make, the way they respond to challenges, and how it impacts their learning.
At the same time I was seeing so many of my students put off learning, disabled by fears and self-theories arising from their backgrounds and life experiences. Learners and educators need support to overcome these self-concepts, the ‘I’m not good enough’ narrative that has students stay isolated in their rooms. This is exactly what Grit does.
We ran some programmes at Portsmouth and the feedback was very positive: workshops were “absolutely brilliant.” They really made staff think about themselves and how they work with others; and we saw students develop a strong sense of belonging.
Long term I’d like to embed Grit in the curriculum. I want to have young people who would never have considered becoming a doctor to develop the confidence, the expectation and resilience, that sense of belief and identity, that it is possible for them.
With Grit you get an intelligence and thoughtfulness. You get a listening and ability to understand a problem and co-create a solution that works. You get a really strong theoretical rationale for its approach along with integrity, care and great fidelity.
So, when I was asked to join the Advisory Board I said “yes.” I am passionate about supporting transformation, about enabling young people to grow, and no-one does this better than Grit.
Grit in Redcar & Cleveland
“I’m really hopeful for the future, that I can really change things”
We’ve been working with senior leaders from the Children’s Services team at Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council. This is how they describe the impact of Grit so far.
We've been building a library of Grit films. Check it out here
We’re commissioning an evaluation. Spread the word!
We’re on the lookout for an evaluator of our programmes for university students from racialised groups.
Facilitated by trainers exclusively from racialised groups, these workshops enable participants to develop the confidence, self-belief and expectation to have a thriving and successful student experience. The breakthroughs which occur see students connect in a deeper way with their identity, empowered to move past historic limitations and reframe their journey of change.
Please pass on to anyone you think might be interested. Details are here
We’re recruiting again for volunteer coaches!
We are recruiting again for volunteers to become coaches to pupils at Swindon Academy. With over 5+ years of partnership, we are excited to be back in the community again, working with individuals who are passionate about making a difference. We are looking for up to 30 adults who can participate in a free personal-development workshop in order to then be matched with a young person, coaching them on a goal they have set for themselves. If you live in or close to the Swindon area, please click here for more details and to apply.