Universities
Building. Belonging.
At Grit, we co-create programmes with our university partners. Our workshops transform the beliefs students have about themselves, their peers and their educational community. By altering limiting beliefs, students take ownership, become more engaged with university life and are more likely to achieve their potential.
Attainment goes up, retention increases, engagement levels improve. Students increase their self-efficacy, agency, sense of belonging and resilience.
And our workshops for Black Students and Students of Colour generate new levels of connection, new power in their identity and voice.
Sustainable and meaningful change is created.
We deliver tailored workshops for healthcare and medical students. We work on employability.
We partner with universities on transition programmes and access programmes in schools for some of the most underrepresented groups in HE.
We run programmes for staff in universities too. Our supports professionals to take a coaching approach, to work together with students to increase expectations, self-belief and engagement.
We build relationships with universities to support culture-change for the long-term. And we co-author contributions to the debates and discussions about pressing issues in the sector.
81% of students have an increased sense of belonging
84% of students at risk of dropping out, stay at university
What’s Grit like?
These short films give insights into the impact and experience of our university workshops.
What is the impact of Grit on university staff?
What is it like on a Grit workshop?
How has Grit changed things for you?
Read how a mature student, a foundation year student and an international student describe their Grit journey.
Louise Banahene, Director of Educational Engagement, University of Leeds
“Grit creates the space to understand and value individual stories and experiences. It offers students a rigorously supportive AND challenging space to reflect on who they are and the unique contribution they have to offer.
Students come to appreciate who they are and who they want to be. They get clarity about what is really possible for their university experience, and that sense of self-efficacy and self-belief that they can achieve it.
We choose to work with Grit as they share the same values and there is a real sense of partnership as we evaluate and refine the approach to make it stronger each year
We have seen the impact through the high levels of engagement and the continued benefit that participants report over time.”
Professor Sherria Hoskins, Provost, University of Portsmouth
“Learners and educators need support to overcome 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.
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.”