14 July 2004

Young Dundee carers try out university

Photo opportunity: 2.00pm, Thursday 15 July, Training Room 1.37, First Floor, Tower Building, University of Dundee

Members of Dundee's Young Carers' Partnership will get a taste of University life when they visit the University of Dundee on Thursday 15 July.

The young carers, aged between 15 and 19 years will meet current undergraduates and Access Summer School students who have been or are in similar situations to the young carers and can therefore act as role models for life long learning.

During the campus tour the group will visit Access Summer School classes so that they can get a feel for university 'in action'. The visitors will also learn about the variety of life long learning opportunities available to them including full and part-time study and alternative routes into higher education.

The young carers can also find out about student shadowing, a novel way of discovering more about university by shadowing an undergraduate student around the University for a day.

This is only one of the many campus based initiatives organised by the Wider Access Study Centre to raise awareness of lifelong learning and open up the possibility of further study for those who thought that route was closed to them.

Katy Smith, Access Outreach Officer, University of Dundee said, "We are delighted to welcome these young carers to the University to help them get a feel for further study. Hopefully the visit has shown them that both support and facilities are available at the University to allow them to study if that is the path they would like to follow."

For further information please contact Katy Smith on 01382 344370

By Angela Durcan, Press Officer 01382 344910, out of hours: 07968298585, a.durcan@dundee.ac.uk