The University of Liverpool is proud to announce a new partnership to nurture aspirations and a love of learning from an early age, The Liverpool Children’s University.
The University of Liverpool has a proud and long-established track record of civic engagement, and, as part of its commitment as a leading Civic University in Liverpool, we are pleased to announce our sponsorship of Liverpool Children’s University.
This new partnership consolidates and builds on the work of the University’s Widening Participation Team and existing civic partnerships with education and community charities including INTO University’s outreach centre in Anfield, national charity Tutor Trust and with Liverpool Arabic Centre in Toxteth.
Encouraging and celebrating participation
The Liverpool Children’s University is a charity that works in partnership with schools to develop a love of learning in children. It does this by encouraging and celebrating participation in extra-curricular activities in and outside of school. Working with young people from the age of 5 to 14 years, the organisation promotes exciting and innovative learning activities and experiences outside normal school hours.
Children’s University’s innovative Passport to Learning encourages children to try new learning experiences at after school clubs, at home, in the local library, museum or further afield.
The University of Liverpool and Liverpool Children’s University share a commitment in creating a level playing field of opportunity and opening up access to children of all backgrounds. Raising children’s aspirations is extremely important to both organisations and, through joint working, we aim to develop the understanding that learning can be life-changing.
Support and inspiration
Professor Gavin Brown, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education, University of Liverpool, said: “We are extremely proud and excited to be announcing our latest initiative to provide support and inspiration for young people in our City.
“We firmly believe that anyone with the potential to pursue study in higher education should be given the inspiration and encouragement to do so from an early age.”
A ‘huge privilege’
Senior Lecturer in Egyptology, Dr Glenn Godenho from the University of Liverpool’s Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology and also Academic Director of Continuing Education, has been appointed as the Honorary Chancellor of the Liverpool Children’s University.
Of the appointment he said: “It’s a huge privilege for me to be asked to take a leading role with the Liverpool Children’s University. I came to Liverpool from London exactly 20 years ago as the first in my family to attend University, and I never looked back.
“Having seen the opportunities that Schools, Colleges and Universities like those in Liverpool can present to young people, I’m really keen to work with the Children’s University and colleagues in Liverpool’s schools to support the excellent work that they all do in engaging young minds and helping them to realise their potential. I can’t wait to get cracking.”
Nurturing talents
Laura Grigsby is the Manager of the Liverpool Children’s University and leads a team who deliver the initiative across Liverpool, Sefton, Lancashire and Warrington. Laura has worked in the field of education, delivering careers in schools, for over 16 years and has grown the Children’s University initiative, starting in Sefton, for nearly 10 years.
Of the new partnership Laura said: “We are thrilled to have the support of The University of Liverpool. As the organisers of Liverpool Children’s University, we here at Elevate EBP are passionate about raising aspiration and nurturing the talents of the young people in the City – we are excited about the potential and opportunity for partnership work going forward.
“Last academic year, the students of Liverpool took part in over 20,700 hours of voluntary learning through after school clubs and visiting Learning Destinations in the local area, even with a pandemic. Children’s University is a valued initiative across schools in the area and has a huge impact on school community, student attainment, attendance levels, not to mention building resilience and confidence levels of the young people. We firmly believe that children can only aspire to what they know exists and will continue to promote and reward enrichment opportunities.”
For more information on the University’s widening participation and outreach work, please visit: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/widening-participation/
For more information about the Liverpool Children’s University please contact: laura.grigsby@elevate-ebp.co.uk