Innovation - Motivation - Education

Project - It's Not Just A Game

Target Groups

Introduction

The project is designed to create a unique and stimulating environment to raise aspirations and boost self-belief. The key theme to facilitate this enrichment will be sport, and the programme aims to help them build self–esteem, aid personal target setting, raise awareness of and gain significant knowledge in terms of educational pathways and career options and facilitate & encourage the transition into Further and Higher Education.

The programme is designed to promote lifelong learning and encourage students to recognise that learning is not confined to the classroom. The workshops help students recognise more clearly the variety of pathways available. The workshops focus on the importance of Further and Higher Education, where this can lead to and also about the opportunities and threats.

Activity Summary

Playing Like A Team! (physical activity day)

On the first day pupils undertake a number of familiarisation and ice breaker activities. We will empower the students as young adults and include some challenging and yet fun activities that will boost unity in the group, improve knowledge and understanding of the opportunities and threats of Further and Higher Education, as well as informing our team of the current knowledge and attitude of the group towards education. The afternoon will reinforce this concept and that of the week being sports related as we undertake tasks built on teamwork, raising self esteem and target setting. These will take the form of Army PTI led assault and command challenges.

Playing Away! (Stadium Visit)

This day is based at a major sports stadium and is designed to focus the students on career options, career pathways as well as personal development. Students undertake a tour of the stadium and list all the different departments and job roles there are from catering, marketing, security, administration, education, ground maintenance, etc. Following this they undertake a workshop looking more in-depth at these careers and the pathways undertaken to arrive at them – this include some interaction with stadium and CLU employees.

In the afternoon this is followed up with a Press Conference style interview with some senior figures at the football / Sports club all of whom have arrived at the career positions via different routes, including via University, via work placement related qualifications and via vocational qualifications at FE level.

Training Camp! (Uni trip)

Day three consists of a University Visit, allowing the students access to a campus and talk with existing students. The group undertake workshops about potential barriers to entry at university such as finance and moving away from home, etc. Additionally the students will tour the site and experience at least 2 lectures as well as gaining a flavour of what university life is really like.

Playing the Game!

This day is designed to complete the mental picture of pathways and progression for students. The morning section focuses on a practical taster of an FE Sports course, specifically looking at BTEC Sports & Recreation from a Foundation through to national level. The emphasis of the session is that courses tend to be theory based and again we look at career and HE progression from the course. The practical will include a bleep test for students and analysis of this in terms of recovery times and fitness.

The afternoon session combines enjoyment with reinforcement of team building and empowerment of the students as they play a 5-a-side football tournament but also take the role of team managers as they have a budget to spend and have the opportunity to buy and sell players with the other teams.

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