Outreach Ambassador Scheme

The scheme seeks to provide primary and secondary school pupils with an insight into the range of courses they could study at university, by highlighting the experiences of current students. Outreach Ambassadors are encouraged to design and deliver sessions in schools based on an area of academic interest or research.

In its pilot year, the Outreach Ambassador scheme was advertised to Magdalene Student Ambassadors, who support in-College Widening Participation initiatives including Open Days, residentials, and school visits. 14 students signed up for the Outreach Ambassador scheme and attended a training session in January 2022, led by Dr Hannah Critchlow and Natalie Thompson. The students were advised on designing and delivering interactive sessions and tailoring their content to the audience, as well as key messaging on safeguarding.

Feedback from students and teachers on recent Outreach Ambassador sessions has been excellent. Outreach Ambassadors have led sessions on subjects ranging from English to Medicine and for a variety of year groups. Ambassadors have reported that pupils enjoyed hearing about their personal experiences of studying at Cambridge and asked lots of questions to demonstrate their engagement in the session.

The Outreach Ambassador scheme is expanding in the 2023-24 academic year to involve more current Magdalene students and more primary and secondary schools. If you would like to find out more about the Outreach Ambassador scheme, please contact Natalie Thompson, Schools Liaison Officer, at access@magd.cam.ac.uk.