Children's University
The Children's University is approaching its fifth year of helping young people realise their potential through the work they do. The charity works with local organisations such as the City Council, the University of Hull, schools, businesses, sports institutions and various voluntary organisations to connect with young people and develop the motivation and self-esteem they have surrounding their development.
The aim of Hull Children's University is to provide a 'Tool Kit' for young people, preparing them for the exhilarating journey of life. This is based upon 6 concepts which embrace both academic and emotional intelligence as well as social, moral, ethical, physical, political and health education.
Having fun and learning away from the classroom and local community are high on Hull Children's University's agenda as it aims to broaden a young person's outlook and experience of life which can often become so insular and narrow. The Children's University seeks to nurture creativity, entrepreneurialism and lateral thinking as well as developing a young person's love and thirst for learning.
This ties in perfectly with the objectives of the Building Schools for the Future programme. Developing young people's outlook on learning and educational experience will provide them with the motivation to work towards a successful and positive future for themselves. By teaming educational development with intrinsic development and self-esteem, The Children's University and the BSF will see results not only in school reports but in the attitude young people have towards their development too.
The Children's University have teamed up with Hull Esteem Consortium to provide mentoring support to pupils at the new Archbishop Sentamu Academy. Mentoring is designed to help alleviate any problems pupils are facing in their education and ensure they have all possibilities to gain the highest achievements during their time at school.
Last year the team at the Children's University also held an event during the city's Business Week, encouraging a link between business and education, enlightening pupils on how they could break into business and how they can use their educational opportunities to assist them in their future careers.
The event saw the Children's University and Hull Esteem Consortium arrange for teams from six schools across the city to enter a Dragons' Den style competition, which encouraged the pupils involved to use their imaginative skills to present a business idea involving kitchen utensils. The idea had to see the pupils from each team come up with a new product or way of using the utensils for innovative purposes, and impress the judges with the research they poured into the challenge. The winning team, from Kingswood School, won a trip to London as a result of the work they did.
The Children's University has further events planned in connection with Hull Esteem Consortium, including a conference event to be held early next summer, to continue the working relationship between the organisations and further develop the opportunities the working partnership can bring to Hull's pupils.