Full Steam Ahead!
As spring seems to be approaching earlier (although it might be freezing again by the time you read this) it’s busier than ever at Grit. We’ve been back working with students at some of our most long standing university partners: Nottingham Trent, Hull, Greenwich, Canterbury Christ Church and Westminster. We’ve taken our workshop for Students of Colour into new partners: Solent University and the University of Nottingham.
We’ve been working with staff in local authorities: a new programme with the London Borough of Islington; continuing work with Allerdale and with Redcar & Cleveland Borough Councils. And, through our partnership with the Staff College (the training organisation for local authority leaders) continued to deliver at their Blue Sky Festival event.
Then we’ve been developing new programmes with schools in Warwickshire, Sandwell and west London.
So, while the spring flowers are still waking from their slumber, it’s full steam ahead at Grit!
Have a great month.
The Grit Team
“A mind-opener.. I now have the confidence to put myself out there”
Shelece was in her first year at Nottingham Trent University when she did a three-day Grit programme back in April 2022.
We caught up with her at the start of 2023. This is what she had to say how Grit continues to impact her life as a student.
Grit in Press and at Conference
“Loneliness and belonging are affected by relationship more than anything else and it is through relationship that we can support students to find their own way through.”
Co-authored with Louise Banahene, Director of Educational Engagement at the University of Leeds, read Grit’s take on one of the most pressing issues for students on the Higher Education Policy Institute blog earlier this month…
… and at the end of February Grit CEO, Ellie Garraway, spoke at the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) Insights conference on “The critical role of self-awareness in student success.”
Telling Stories
We love a good story at Grit. So much so that we’ve just posted a whole new collection on our website.
There’s Aleena, a first year from Leeds Uni struggling with loneliness; mature student Michael from Hull who was thinking about giving up and leaving; Liam from a school in Warwickshire who was going off the rails; and Sonia, a member of staff at Solent University, who found Grit gave her “new impetus, a new way, a better way of doing my job.”
Read their stories, and more, here.
Internship Opportunity - spread the word!
Our old friends and supporters at Octopus Energy are running an internship programme this summer. It’s open to candidates who identify with any Black, Black British, African or Caribbean background. It’s part of efforts to help address the under representation of Black professionals in the energy industry.
You’ll need to be available for the period between 3rd July and 25th August 2023. Apply here