Spaces, places and relationships
Stepping in
It was great to be at the UK Advising and Tutoring 10th Anniversary conference earlier this month – and a joy to deliver a workshop alongside Jelena Matic of Nottingham Trent University who we have been working with for eight years now!!!
We were fortunate to have SUCH an engaged group who threw themselves into the session with curiosity and interest about how to pro-actively build community and connection with students at the beginning of the tutoring relationship.
Participants stood up and took part in our 'step-in' circle (even at 9am), enquired, shared themselves, worked together and had great insights into how to apply the tools we demonstrated.
An uplifting and thought-provoking day.
What’s new on social media
We’ve been working away behind the scenes, upgrading and evolving our YouTube Channel. We’ve got films of Black Leaders and Students of Colour; of students who’ve taken part in a 1-day workshop and students who’ve taken part in a 3-day. There are films featuring university staff and staff from local authorities. There’s even a few films from our distant past (Ballet Hoo anyone?). Head over there right away and take a look…
And talking of all things social media, we’ve joined Bluesky. Check it out and give us a follow...
Spaces, places and relationships
Read our new piece on the Higher Education Policy Institute blog where we talk about how, alongside all the institutional plans, strategies and initiatives designed to tackle the degree awarding gap, there also have to be the spaces, places and relationships for Black students to be their full, authentic, very best selves and, just like their white peers, grow the social capital to thrive and succeed in their time at university and beyond.
Getting into conversation
In case you missed this last month, here’s a reminder of a couple of upcoming opportunities to join us in conversation.
Grit Unleashed is open to staff at universities, schools and other organisations who are committed to creating change for Students of Colour.
Join us on June 5th from 11am to 3pm at Nottingham Trent University for a deep dive into the university experience for Black students and Students of Colour across the UK in a day co-designed and co-delivered by student participants.
And Talking about Transformation is a conversation about how local authority staff teams are navigating the challenges of supporting young people.
If you work in Children’s Services or interested/related services, join us on 14th May in person at Nottingham Trent University or via Teams.
For either session, email vicky@grit.org.uk for more information and to sign up.
Grit in Press
It’s a matter of national health: with the NHS staffing and recruitment crisis it’s time to change the corrosive resilience narrative in healthcare education from one about survival and just getting through to one about thriving, learning and growing. Read our Wonkhe blog, co authored with Jill Morgan Director of Learning and Teaching in Healthcare Sciences at Cardiff University…
… Meanwhile, over on HE Professional we are Re-Thinking Employability: Gen Z and the End of the Old Certainties along with Anna Matei, Head of Futures at the London Interdisciplinary School. Why is there such a cultural dissonance between Gen Z and employers around attitudes and behaviours in the workplace? And what are lessons employers can learn from how HE had adapted in recent years?
