The below resources are drawn from the four professional bodies - the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Institute of Physics, the Institute of Mathematics & its Applications and the Royal Academy of Engineering - and from wider afield. As well as generic diversity resources, resources are categorised according to: disability; gender; ethnicity and socio-economic status.
Higher education outreach: targeting disadvantaged learners
This document provides guidance on effective ways to target outreach activities at people from communities under-represented in higher education. It refines the definition of the target group for Aimhigher and outreach activity; provides a methodology to make targeting more effective; and sets out a process for measuring the effectiveness of the targeting process.
Discourses, identities and learning: implications for the training of student ambassadors in engineering
Employing undergraduate student ambassadors (SAs) for the delivery of outreach activities has become increasingly popular with higher education institutions. At London South Bank University (LSBU), the London Engineering Project (LEP) used student ambassadors to support the learning of younger students from secondary schools in economically deprived and ethnically diverse boroughs of London. The aim was to raise attainment in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects and to raise awareness of engineering across under-represented groups of students including girls, Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) students and students from lower socioeconomic groups. The associated report can be accessed below:
Table for Good Practice in Designing Inclusive Outreach
A table that summarises what people can do to make their practice more inclusive and that gives examples of websites, posters, activities, resources, to illustrate this.
Delivering Diversity: Making Science and Engineering Accessible to All
This policy document considers research in relation to disabled people, those from socially-disadvantaged backgrounds, women and ethnic minorities.
Using Weblabs as a Tool to Support a Culturally Diverse Student Cohort
This paper looks at potential issues that may be encountered by engineering departments in the delivery of their curriculum to a more diverse student base resulting from the success of widening participation (WP).
STEM Equality & Diversity Toolkit
This is an interactive toolkit to help promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, (STEM) careers to people with a range of backgrounds and needs.
Enabling disabled learners to successfully participate in summer schools
The ‘Enabling disabled learners to successfully participate in summer schools’ project commenced in November 2005 and completed in August 2007. The national project focused on improving the experience and increasing the participation of learners with sensory and physical impairments in summer school provision. The final report can be downloaded below:
Targeting and recruitment of disabled learners
Guidance entitled, 'Targeting and recruitment of disabled learners', has been produced following extensive consultation with the National Targeting & Advisory Group (NTAG). It includes a host of top tips and links to useful organisations. Access the guidance below:
Targeting and recruiting disabled learners
Professor Stephen Hawking’s website
For some personal observations about life as a scientist.
A national charity promoting opportunities in post-16 education, training and employment for young people and adults with any kind of impairment.
Delivering Diversity: Making Science and Engineering Accessible to All
Produced by the Campaign for Science and Engineering in the UK, this policy document contains useful statistics and suggestions about how the number of disabled people in STEM could be increased.
Aims to promote education, training, advancement and development of all those with special and additional support needs.
UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology
The UKRC website hosts invaluable research reports, briefings, good practice guidelines and on-line catalogues on engaging women with STEM subjects.
Getting Girls into Engineering: A Practical Guide
The aim of this guide is to share the effective practice the UKRC has developed in the area of gender inclusion with the London Engineering Project. Throughout the project, the LEP focused on working with students form BME backgrounds, students who did not have a family history of participation in higher education and girls, with a specific focus on Pakistani/Bangladeshi girls as the most underrepresented in UK engineering.
Want to do something different? Exploring jobs usually done by the opposite sex
In this booklet are stories of people from the South West of England who are doing jobs more usually done by someone of the opposite sex and making a success of it. They have challenged job stereotypes and found their niche in a variety of occupations. These role models tell their stories to encourage and inspire other young people to broaden their options.
Women in Science and Engineering
The WISE Campaign encourages young women to stick with studying Maths and Physics and to consider careers in Science, Engineering and the Built Environment.
Young Women’s Christian Association
Works with the most disadvantaged young women and seeks to tackle occupational segregation and gender stereotypes through programmes, games and interactive discussions.
Has a range of interactive learning resources that challenge gender and ethnic stereotyping to help learning providers, teachers, guidance practitioners and employers in the promotion of equality of opportunity, diversity, intercultural understanding and respect.
Engineering Islam
Engineering Islam was set up in 2008 by the London Engineering Project and originally ran during Ramadan. The event was a celebration of Islamic culture and aims to show young people the important contribution that Muslims made to society, particularly in the field of science and engineering. See their project report below:
The aim of this study was to investigate the factors affecting the decisions of under-represented ethnic groups to study physics and / or chemistry at A-level and / or at university, and to discover any differences between the different ethnic groups; A-level and undergraduate students; students of physics and chemistry and the sexes.
Compiled in 2009, this list provides some useful role models and quotes.
Has a range of interactive learning resources that challenge gender and ethnic stereotyping to help learning providers, teachers, guidance practitioners and employers in the promotion of equality of opportunity, diversity, intercultural understanding and respect.
Other Sites
A number of STEM specific sites have a good representation of people from different backgrounds in their resources (e.g. futuremorph; maths careers).
Seeks to improve educational opportunities for young people from non-privileged backgrounds and to increase social mobility.
A UK-wide voluntary youth sector organisation providing opportunities for young people to transform their life-circumstances be re-engaging with learning, discovering their ability to succeed and achieving progression to further education, training and employment.
Bright Links E-mentoring Scheme
Brightside UNIAID’s flagship e-mentoring project that connects 14-19 year olds with undergraduate mentors or professionals who can help them explore their options for university, including courses, university life, careers and student finance.
© University of Bath 2011-12
HE STEM Programme, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
Updated by HE STEM web team
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