The Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme in Ireland
Maria Meehan (University College Dublin)
Abstract
The Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme (UAS) was established in the UK in 2002 out of a concern over teacher shortages in science, technology, and mathematics, and the falling numbers of university applicants to these subjects. The key idea behind the UAS is that a final-year undergraduate student is placed with a teacher in a local secondary school for approximately three hours each week for a period of eight to ten weeks. The teacher will decide what tasks the undergraduate can assist in. These can vary from observing a class, acting as a classroom assistant, or providing individual/small group support for students at either end of the ability spectrum. As part of his or her assessment, the student must devise a Special Project in mathematics that will be of interest to a particular group of students.
The School of Mathematical Sciences, University College Dublin (UCD) offered a UAS Module for the first time in 2007/08. Six final-year mathematics undergraduates secured places on the module and were given the chance to work with mathematics teachers and students in six local secondary schools. The participating undergraduate receives five academic credits for successful participation in this module, and this contributes towards his or her final degree. The School again offered the module in 2008/09 with almost double the number of students and schools taking part.
In this paper I would like to discuss the Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme under the theme of “partnership”. In particular, I will focus on how it can allow higher education to be a community resource and vice versa. I will also discuss some of the challenges involved in trying to create a sustainable partnership between third-level and the second-level teachers and schools.
