Pembroke Students Teach at Humanities & Theology Access Conference

The Pembroke Easter Humanities & Theology Access Conference took place at University Place in Manchester in early April. Pupils aged 16-18 from participating schools in London and the North West of England attended the event.

The following article is written by Emily Qureshi-Hurst (Mst Theology, 2017), a Pembroke graduate student who taught young people participating in the Conference.

There was an air of nervous excitement in the air on the morning of the 9th of April, as students from local state schools arrived at Manchester University for Pembroke’s Easter Access Conference. What lay ahead was an intense two or three day academic programme comprised of lectures, workshops and independent study, with the aim of allowing A-Level students to experience a taste of university life. Approximately fifty students from around fifteen schools attended, either under the ‘humanities’ or ‘theology’ heading.

2018’s marks the tenth year that Pembroke College have been running the programme. It is led by Dr Peter Claus, and across the years, many academics from Pembroke and beyond have offered their time and expertise to enrich students’ academic experience. This year, the students attended lectures on ‘Sharks and Seas of Lemonade: An Enlightenment Faith’ and Classical Indian Religion, both of which sparked a lively debate with the students afterwards. They were also given an interactive and informative workshop on confidence and communications run by Rosie Nice, Director of ESB Training (as pictured).

The majority of the students’ time was spent in smaller groups. There they were taught by an Oxford undergraduate or graduate student on a specific subject, that they are unlikely to have encountered in school. The topics covered were rich in variety; from Buddhism to the Vikings; from the poetry of Yeats to evil and suffering. Through group work and independent reading, students researched their topic, prepared and later delivered a presentation. Prizes were awarded to the group with the best presentation.

This method of study is extremely valuable in forming skills for independent university-style learning. As part of a wider programme, the Easter School follows six seminars that have taken place over the course of the past academic year, and the programme culminates with a week-long residential summer school in August at Pembroke. The programme allows students to develop important academic skills over the course of the year leading up to university applications, and owes its success to investment from students, teachers and academics alike.

It was both a pleasure and a privilege to teach such eager young minds; watching their confidence grow over the course of the conference reinforced the value of the work that is being done at Pembroke!