Meteor strikes Middlesbrough!

Over 500 Middlesbrough primary school children will get a taste of University life next week, from Monday 29 January to Friday 2 February, when they visit the University of Teesside as part of the pioneering Meteor programme.

The Meteor programme, funded by the Single Regeneration Budget (SRB), aims to raise the aspirations of young people – some as young as ten years old. The Middlesbrough-based University of Teesside first launched the pioneering programme in 1999, with 300 Year Six (10 and 11 year-olds) from six central Middlesbrough primary schools: Sacred Heart RC, Newport, Ayresome, Abingdon, St Joseph’s RC and Breckon Hill.

In 2000 another five schools joined the programme; Brambles, North Ormesby, Thorntree, Caldicotes and St Alphonsus RC – some of which are in the East Middlesbrough Education Action Zone. Children from all 11 schools will spend half-a-day each from Monday 29 January at the University. The visits will include organised sports, science experiments and using computers to compose music. The children will round off their visit with a disco in the Students’ Union, (visits from 9.30-12 and 12.50-3.10pm).

David Littlefair, Director of the Meteor Programme said: “We are all looking forward to welcoming the ten and 11 year-old children on to the campus. The children have already got to know our student mentors who work on a weekly basis with pupils in their schools. In July, we will be holding our Meteor Summer School, when children from the different schools will mix together and enjoy a wide range of social and educational activities on campus.”

Meteor now also includes Year 7 and 8 pupils in twelve local comprehensive schools – King’s Manor, Hall Garth, Brackenhoe, St David’s, Ormesby, Newlands, Acklam Grange, Coulby Newham, MacMillan, St Anthony’s, Keldholme and Langbaurgh. They will keep in touch with the University via many different activities including a BT-sponsored Internet project and through University student mentors.

On Tuesday 6 February at 4pm a Meteor Cybercafe will be launched at the University, by the Mayor of Middlesbrough Councillor Kath Bevington. The Cybercafe has been funded through SRB and several local firms, and will give the children the opportunity to develop their IT skills and surf the Internet.

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