Charity's work gets more youngster from low income backgrounds into the lab

In2scienceUK gets local young people from low income backgrounds out of the classroom and into the lab.

Although there is a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills shortfall in the UK, with increasingly large numbers of jobs available in the sector, few students are progressing to STEM degrees and careers and there is particularly poor uptake among young people from working class backgrounds.

Why? Because few of us really know what a job in STEM really means, let alone have met a scientist.

An award winning charity called in2scienceUK is changing this and leverages the local science community to offer young – Year 12 – students from low income backgrounds access to paid work placements, role models and careers guidance.

There are two key aspects to this programme.

Firstly students spend time with the scientists who, like them, are generally young, fun and act, speak and look no different to everyone else and, secondly; students get a very real taste of what a job in science could be.

It’s such a fascinating experience that many of the students want to do the same job as their mentor in five years’ time.

A small pilot scheme was launched in Oxford in 2016, in collaboration with the MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit (MRC BNDU) at Oxford University.

Shakera Begum from Oxford Spires Academy was part of the first student cohort, applying online through the charity's website and was selected for a neuroscience placement at the MRC BNDU working with a team of scientists working on cutting edge research on brain stimulation as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease.

She said that the placement was ‘not only been eye-opening for a new career path and a wonderful experience to learn new skills, but I genuinely feel it has been such a privilege to work with some of the world’s top scientists’.

Shakera’s mentor Petra Fischer is a student researcher at the MRC BNDU and said: “Among the most rewarding aspects were those 'a-ha' moments, when my mentee’s face lit up as she grasped a new concept or learned something unexpected.

Seeing how much of an impact it would have on my own mentee was very rewarding.

I am very happy that I got the opportunity to be mentor.”

The MRC BNDU deputy director Professor Peter Magill commented: “Engaging local school pupils continues to be a priority for the MRC BNDU’s thriving outreach programme.

"We are focusing our activities on local pupils who would benefit most from the special opportunities the unit can offer.

"We were keen to partner with in2scienceUK because of their outstanding track record in supporting secondary-school pupils from more challenging socioeconomic backgrounds.

"It has been a real pleasure and privilege for the unit to take this lead on widening access and participation in STEM.”

The 2016 pilot scheme was such a success that the charity has secured additional funding and support from Oxford City Council and matched funding from Trinity College Oxford, the Oxford Neuroscience Strategy Committee, and the Wellcome Trust Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging and are able to expand the number of young people they can support this summer.

We would really like more year 12 students from working class backgrounds and who would be interested in such an opportunity to get in touch via our website in2scienceUK.org.