More than 200 students from disadvantaged areas are taking part in four subject focussed residential events at the University of Liverpool this summer.
These annual events, organised by the University’s Widening Participation and Outreach team, have made an ‘in person’ return for the first time since 2019.
Last week, the School of Veterinary Science welcomed a group of Year 12 students onto its campuses. 11 students from ‘widening participation’ backgrounds stayed in University accommodation for two nights, taking part in a wide range of activities such as visiting the University vet practice, joining clinical skills sessions in the Veterinary Teaching School, and spending a full day at the Leahurst campus – home to two farms, two referral hospitals, and two first-opinion practices .
One of the students taking part said: “I enjoyed the whole residential experience. Everyone was really nice and talkative. It was good to visit the Veterinary School as it showed us what we could expect if we studied there and gave us a little look at what we might learn. The evening activities were a good way to have fun and socialise with other people who have the same interests as you.”
Other residentials coming up this summer include two clinical Year 12 programmes, ‘Destination Dentistry’ and ‘Destination Medicine’ and a Year 10 programme, ‘Dangerous Science’.
The University has been successfully running residential events for almost 20 years and trialled a virtual version during lockdown. The events are themed to allow for depth and detail within a given subject area.
The events form part of the University’s wider outreach offer to its partner schools and other regional schools, to try to positively influence culture and ambition within them.