The HELOA Awards celebrate best practice across the sector and acknowledge the amazing work that teams from across the country have done.
Loughborough was named the winner of the Best Practice Pandemic Pilot Award for its Inspiring Minds Parents and Guardians Event, and the Best Practice Access, Outreach and Recruitment Award for the ‘Why it Matters’ resources. Both of these initiatives were developed by the University’s School and College Liaison Team.
The Parents and Guardians Inspiring Minds events were launched by the team after recognising the important role this group plays in the decision-making process and journey of a student who wants to progress into higher education. It is a week-long virtual event focused on delivering key information that parents and guardians need to support their dependents in the process.
From Loughborough University-specific information to more general university topics and live sessions, the event provided attendees with an insight into the world of post-16 opportunities.
The Why It Matters resources were designed to help answer some of the questions students and their influencers ask as they make decisions about their education options. The resource features a set of graduate and researcher case studies exploring why they chose to study their subject and the impact that subject has had on their career path. The case study cards are used by teachers and advisors across the UK as they support students to make decisions about their post-16 and post-18 options.
Lisa Ambler, School and College Liaison Manager said: “We are absolutely thrilled that these projects have been recognised by HELOA and their members. It’s a really wonderful acknowledgement of the outreach work being carried out by staff from across campus, and we’d like to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to all the Loughborough colleagues who have worked with us to create activities for schools and colleges.”
Vice-Chancellor Professor Nick Jennings added: “It’s great to see that Loughborough has been recognised for its work to educate and support prospective students and their parents as they explore their post-18 options and higher education. I would like to thank our School and College Liaison team for their hard work and vital contribution to inspiring the next generation of students, especially for those who may face more challenges to entering higher education. We continue to work hard to ensure we have an exciting and diverse group of students who come to Loughborough and make sure they all feel welcome in our vibrant community.”
The next Parents and Guardians Inspiring Minds week is scheduled to take place 28 March – 1 April 2022. Further information can be obtained by emailing Anna Milewska at A.Milewska2@lboro.ac.uk. There is also a quarterly Parent and Guardian newsletter which you can register for here.
Anyone who is interested in creating their own case study about their research and career so far for the Why It Matters initiative is encouraged to contact Lisa at L.M.Ambler@lboro.ac.uk.