Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme

The Undergraduate Ambassadors' Scheme (UAS) was launched in 2002 as a way of encouraging more pupils to take up STEM subjects in schools and more graduates to teach these subjects. The Undergraduate Ambassadors' Scheme is offered as a third year project in the Department of Chemistry.

The UAS is a popular and successful way of giving students teaching experience by working in local schools. As well as allowing undergraduates to explore the teaching profession at first hand, the scheme also allows students to develop valuable transferable skills. Currently there are around 140 departments at 49 different UK Universities offering the Undergraduate Ambassadors' Scheme and the numbers are growing fast.

Under the UAS scheme, BSc Chemistry students carry out their third year project in a local secondary school or college where they spend one day a week for two terms. Here they work with teachers in the classroom and carry out a special project. Examples of special projects include a study into encouraging girls into science and technology, developing materials for gifted and talented children, development of forensic science activities to teach basic chemical analysis and the preparation of an information pack to help new students prepare for university life.

The UAS scheme is a successful and popular way for schools to develop links with the University. Teachers interested in the scheme should contact Dr Elizabeth Page  e.m.page@reading.ac.uk or see the UAS web site for more background information