Welcome to March's issue of GHWY's Care to Go Higher newsletter.
In this issue we offer some practical tips you can take to support care-experienced students who are observing Ramadan. It is a time of year synonymous with family and community, hence they may require extra support during this period.
Care Experienced History Month will be marked in April. Running since 2021, it is dedicated to understanding and learning the history of the care-experienced community around the world. We will be running a social media campaign in support of it, so please do like, share, and re-tweet content!
As always, we're looking for news stories, resources or upcoming events to promote. If you have anything to share from your organisation then please get in touch with Susan Darlington.
Ramadan is synonymous with family and community, hence care experienced students may require extra support at this time of year.
It is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is a time for fasting from early hours to sunset, reflecting, and giving back to the community. This can be challenging for care experienced students, who may not yet have established strong links with the community.
We list five ways that you can support care experienced students during Ramadan, which this year is from Wednesday, 22 March until Friday, 21, April.
Role models can be important for young people, providing examples of constructive action and perspectives that can help with their development.
Such models can often be missing in the lives of care-experienced students, which is what makes the Bafta winner Barry Keoghan so inspirational.
We recognises the challenges that young people face when they leave the care system, which is why we have created a bank of care leaver stories. These are designed to help young people be inspired by the educational journeys of others as they start to consider their own options.
We know that many students who are care-experienced also belong to other under-represented groups, such as disability and minority ethnicities. These free sessions provide a broader understanding of these lived experiences and ways in which to engage with young people.
When: Thursday, 25 May between 3-4.30pm Where: Online Who: GHWY
The session has been designed to break down the barriers for SEND/Disabled learners as they progress in education to achieve their goals, raising awareness towards the support available. Guest speaker Elizabeth Wright will discuss her experiences in education and her journey into the Paralympics.
HE events can help young people to plan the next steps on their educational journey. They offer an opportunity to visit campuses, talk to staff and current students, and learn more about what courses are available. They are free, with in-person as well as online options usually available.
When: Tuesday, 28 March between 9am-4pm Where: Parkinson Building Who: University of Leeds
The free event will be full of innovative and exciting sustainability-related student research, that will inspire young people to study and work in the many different disciplines involving sustainability. It will include presentations, workshops, art and interactive exhibits.
When: Wednesday, 29 March between 3.30-6.30 pm Where: The Engineering Centre Who: Calderdale College
Is your young person interested in a career in Engineering, Motor Vehicle, Manufacturing or Electrical? This open event will help them to find out more about getting started with an apprenticeship or school leavers course.
Universities are being urged to provide rent guarantor services for students who have been in care or are estranged from their parents, with warnings that the current lack of support is forcing young people to quit.
Most university and private rented accommodation asks for a guarantor. Most students can get a parent or family member to fulfil the role, but this is not an option for students who are care leavers or estranged from their families.
Support offered to care-experienced young people by our members
Our spotlight features highlight what support our 13 member institutions offer to care-experienced young people. They detail care leaver contacts, financial support, and bespoke campus tours among other things.
Each 'what support we offer' feature is regularly updated to ensure that content is up to date, which makes them a valuable resource when guiding your young people through their HE journey.
Take a look at some of our free resources, which can be used to support care leavers and estanged young people to make informed decisions about their future.
GHWY's collaborative Care Leaver Covenant includes information about what our 13 members offer to care leavers, along with useful tips and links. It is reviewed every year to ensure that its information is kept relevant, with addtional details being available online.
Our free resources pack is designed to help you support care-experienced young people to make informed choices about their educational future. It will encourage you reflect on your own role as someone with influence and provide tips and activities to get the conversation going with young people.
Our collaborative Stand Alone Pledge includes information about what our 13 members offer to estranged young people, along with useful tips and links. Additional information will be added to our website soon to include further support details.
Our resource bank holds a wide range of free and informative materials for various audiences to access. There includes sections on wellbeing in education, employability essentials, online taster days, and useful links.
