In March 2021, two new learning centres will open in Govan and Craigmillar to provide additional educational support to young people aged 7-18. Working closely with local schools, colleges and other agencies, the centres will provide after-school academic tuition, mentoring, and programmes to enable young people to achieve their ambitions.

The project is a ground-breaking collaboration between the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh and education charity IntoUniversity. The partnership is based upon a shared concern for children growing up experiencing poverty and a belief in the power of education to transform young people’s lives. The new IntoUniversity centres will provide invaluable long-term support with young people’s educational outcomes and their journey into employment and a positive destination.

IntoUniversity has carried out detailed feasibility work and consultation to ensure that the new centres will play a valuable role alongside other services for young people. The centres will complement extensive work that both universities already do to widen access to higher education, by providing community-based support to young people on their doorstep. Through activities at the universities young people will develop their understanding of university life and awareness of the opportunities that higher education has to offer.

£2.7 million has been raised to fund the first two centres for a pilot period of 5 years. Further fundraising is underway to allow a third centre to open in Maryhill in Autumn 2021.Two high school pupils raise their hands to answer a question in class. Photo courtesy of IntoUniversity

Dr Rachel Carr OBE, Co-Founder and CEO IntoUniversity, said: “We are delighted that this new partnership with the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh is enabling IntoUniversity to serve young people in Scotland. Three new learning centres in Glasgow and Edinburgh will use the power of education to lift young people out of poverty, opening up new worlds of possibility. We look forward to working in partnership with local schools, colleges, third sector organisations, businesses and councils, along with the Universities, to bring this project to fruition.”

Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice-Chancellor University of Glasgow, added: “The University of Glasgow is a proudly international institution, but we have never forgotten that our first duty is to the city we serve. A key part of that is ensuring opportunities are available to talented young people across Glasgow, regardless of their background. For the university and the city to thrive, we need to be able to empower people across our communities to meet their full potential and this ground-breaking collaboration – delivered in partnership with the University of Edinburgh and IntoUniversity – represents the next step in realising that ambition, with the potential to transform the lives of some of our most disadvantaged young people.” 

Professor Peter Mathieson, Principal and Vice-Chancellor University of Edinburgh, said: “At the University of Edinburgh, we support all efforts to ensure that access to higher education is equitable and fair. Young people need to know more about the choices available to them, including but not limited to access to universities. In an important collaboration with IntoUniversity, the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, supported by philanthropic funding from both of our communities, are proud to be part of this ambitious and important project. It is a major milestone in helping us unlock and nurture the potential of young people, regardless of their background. The impact will create a wider benefit not only for the individuals, but also for their families and communities, the universities or colleges they might attend, and for society as a whole.” 

First published: 8 October 2020

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