amazing aqa unlocking potential mid point events
This week marked the mid-point stage of this year’s AQA Unlocking Potential programme with three incredible events taking place in Guildford, Milton Keynes and Manchester. 120 students from 30 schools attended along with teachers, AQA volunteers and of course the Trust athlete mentors to renew friendships made at the launch event, get some last minute tips on presenting and then get ready to pitch to the Dragon’s Den panel.
It is amazing to see the difference already in the students from the first events back in December last year. The energy and enthusiasm in the rooms right from the start was fantastic to see, with everyone taking full part in the energisers and ice breakers that the athletes deliver. For the first time this year we had alumni from previous year’s programmes join us to talk about their experiences on the programme and support this year’s students to make the most of this opportunity.
Hannah on meeting Christopher again
I was really impressed with Christopher's progress from last year, it was great to see him hosting a Q&A session with this year's students. He just came straight up to me this morning, shook hands and started talking - he has so much more confidence than when we first met 18 months ago!
Ashton attends Clayton Hall Academy and has been working with BMX champion Kelvin Batey :
“The favourite part of the programme for me has been learning how people communicate, speaking to new people and developing confidence. I struggled when I lost my Grandad and this programme and working with Kelvin has really helped me to grow in confidence.”
The main focus of the mid-point sessions is the social action projects the students will be delivering in the summer term back in their schools and communities. In order to prepare for this, the students need to plan and deliver a presentation to a ‘Dragon’s Den’ panel made up of Trustees, senior members of staff from AQA and people from local businesses and our corporate partners, in order to gain funding for their project. For many people, speaking in front of strangers can be daunting, let alone doing it as a student, but every single young person stepped up, displayed their new found confidence and delivered.
Iona, who teaches at Central Academy said:
“I’ve seen an amazing change in my group. If you’d told me at the start that my four students would stand up in front of a group of strangers and deliver a presentation, I wouldn’t have believed you.”
All of the projects are chosen by the students themselves and are on issues that are close to their hearts and meets the needs of their local community. Topics included; dealing with mental health, bullying, raising funds for a local food bank, awareness of knife crime, dealing with loneliness, getting young people active and many more. We’re encouraging schools to contact their local MPs to come along and see their social action projects in action and to show the powerful impact young people are having on their local communities.
Glyn, one of the teachers from St. Christopher’s School in Wrexham said:
“The AQA Unlocking Potential programme is developing children who have low confidence and self-esteem. It’s helped our students become role models in our school and given them a voice.”
Our Sporting Champions from the events at Guildford, Milton Keynes and Manchester respectively.
The whole day was a tremendous success and the students and their athlete mentors will be meeting up again back in their schools shortly to continue putting the final touches to their social action projects. We’ll be following as many of these projects as we can over the next few month on our social media channels, so be sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and follow the hashtag #AQAUnlockingPotential