Led by the School and College Liaison team, the concept was developed in response to recognising a need for more interactive and fun ways to inspire young people and their options when it comes to career pathways that can help bring about positive change as we face global challenges.
From exploring subject areas such as marine conservation, renewable energy and sustainable fashion, the site shares past and present student stories, recommended university courses, and an introduction to related careers.
The website has been built with the target audience in mind and features vibrant animations, illustrations and video content throughout, making it an exciting new venture for the Schools and College Liaison team to engage with future university students and for secondary schools to use as a valuable resource in the classroom to inspire students in turning their interests into careers.
A special thanks to the following teams who helped the project come to fruition:
- The Philanthropy, Alumni Support and Engagement team – for their support in securing funds from various donors and grant-giving bodies, including the GlobalGiving grant and Ford Philanthropy grant
- Members of the Web and Digital team – including Chris Lee, who was the Web Developer for the project, and Jonathan Walters, who supported the vision and provided guidance on how to bring the idea to life
- Graphic Designer Tansy Wright – who created the web visuals you can see throughout the Athena Island website
Alumna Rosanna Kennedy, who studied Foundation Art, created the animations featured across the site. Sophie Oates, a graduate of Graphic Design and Illustration, also contributed to the initial design concepts.
Since its launch, the team has developed an accompanying interactive quiz to be used in the classroom, and has received enquiries from 20 schools in just a matter of weeks.
Over the coming months, the School and College Liaison team are looking to roll out more in-school Athena Island activities to launch in the autumn termand new resources for parent and guardian focused activities to use in the home to encourage conversations about future education and career opportunities. If you’d like to find out more, please contact Marie Shaw, Outreach Manager (Post-16).