Geography Ambassadors
What is the aim of the geography ambassador scheme?
The scheme recruits, trains and supports geographers currently at university and graduate geographers from the work place to act as ambassadors for geography in the classroom.
This is a great way to introduce younger students to the benefits of studying geography and encouraging them to pursue the subject beyond the compulsory stages.
The ambassadors act as positive role models for pupils and can illustrate, with enthusiasm, both the specific and transferable skills they have developed as a geographer.
The scheme offers schools the opportunity to strengthen links with their local HEI and businesses.
“It has had an amazing impact... numbers taking GCSE Geography have increased from 43 to nearly 70, and … nearly 50% ranked the visit from the Ambassadors as being one of the top 3 reasons why they chose it’.
- Teacher, Essex, 2010
Going Places with Geography for Year 9 pupils
In 2009/10 we introduced higher education and careers events specifically targeted at Year 9 students.
Four of these events were held in London and Birmingham. There will be more to come in Bath (date tbc ), Durham (date tbc ), Leeds (December 14th 2010) and London (November 26th 2010 and December 7th 2010).
Over 300 pupils so far have enjoyed these events where they discovered more about the opportunities offered by geography at university and beyond.
They met some of our undergraduate and graduate geographers, enjoyed taster sessions of what GCSE geography could offer them through sessions on plate tectonics, global development, ecosystems and GIS.
Please contact the ambassador project directly for more information on future events or if you would like to plan a Going Places event at your school or university.
Places are limited and should be booked in advance. There is no charge for our ambassador events. They are hosted by the geography ambassador scheme as part of the Action Plan for Geography
What will ambassadors offer?
Ambassadors will begin by delivering a presentation with activities to groups on a mutually agreed theme such as ‘Why study geography?’, ‘Geography and careers’ or ‘My special project or research interest’.
Subsequently ambassadors could return to the school to support geography clubs or fieldwork activities.
I am interested in becoming an ambassador. How do I find out more?
Please email us or ring us on +44 (0)207 591 3050 for an information pack on everything you need to know including dates and venue details for training sessions.
How do I get my school involved and book ambassadors to visit my school?
When would you like an ambassador to visit? Ambassadors are ready to come into schools now and new groups are being trained throughout the year. Why not link a visit to a key intervention point such as option choices in year 9, or your Year 12 and Year 13 HE awareness programme?
Register your school and request a visit on Find Geography Ambassadors website.
We have ambassadors from a wide range of backgrounds in terms of education and qualification pathways, experience, gender, ethnic origin and career aspiration.
The scheme will meet the costs incurred by the ambassadors so that there will be no financial cost to the school. Schools will not be expected to complete any additional paperwork or planning except for the brief evaluation form after the visit.
The ambassador project manager, Kate Amis, is part of the Action Plan for Geography team at the RGS-IBG.
Contact Kate on 0207 591 3045 or email using the link on the right. We look forward to hearing from you.
Could you tell me more about the Geography Ambassador scheme?
The project is part of the Action Plan for Geography and is now operating across all of England.
The scheme has achieved 1200 school visits in the period April 2009 to March 2010. In total the ambassadors have made over 2,800 visits since it began in 2006.
A huge ‘thank you’ to our wonderful geography ambassadors, drawn from universities and the workplace who give of their time as volunteers to share their love of geography with young people in schools.
Thanks also to the university geography departments – all 47 of them, who support and promote the scheme to their students and help us to recruit and train them.
Last, but by no means least, a huge thank you to all the teachers who have supported the scheme and provided us with feedback on ambassador visits.
We are always striving to improve and your feedback is appreciated .
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