Mentoring Scheme PhD/High School students

The mentoring scheme will pair a PhD student studying at the University of Edinburgh in environmental science with a Secondary 6 pupil attending a school eligible for the Lothians Equal Access Programme for Schools (LEAPS, a widening participation programme which aims to encourage and advise students who are traditionally under-represented in higher education). Pairs will meet individually for one-to-one sessions between September and November 2024. In addition, the scheme will also include an introduction and a conclusion plenary session with all the mentors and mentees to reflect on how to make the most of the mentoring experience, how to identify the skills and competencies gained and how these can feed into a cover letter, CV or job/university interview. 

All participants will be paid for their time spent on the placement.

High School Students

The E4 DTP mentoring scheme gave me a great insight into what university life is like and has ensured me that studying Geography at Edinburgh University is the right path for me. (Naomi, previous high school pupil mentee)

This mentoring scheme aims to demystify university studies in Environmental Sciences topics (including research studies at PhD level) for high school students from under-represented backgrounds, who already have an interest in studying environmental science but maybe lack confidence and guidance to access and apply to University studies. By spending time alongside a PhD student mentor to directly experience the university study environment, we hope that they can gain confidence, feel encouraged and supported to continue their studies and apply to University.

The high school student (mentee) will spend a minimum of 3 sessions on campus, shadowing their PhD student mentor through various activities including:

• attending lectures and/or seminars,
• attending practicals on which PhD students might be tutors or demonstrators (including in labs if possible),
• observing study and research work led by their mentor (including some experiment - field and/or lab work - depending on circumstances),
• attending research groups and other meetings.

As an option, one of these sessions might take place at school where the PhD student will visit their mentee and either provide teaching support in class or after class depending on what can be organised with the relevant science teachers.

The mentee will also attend an introduction and conclusion session, with all the mentoring groups. These sessions will provide some reflection time on what to expect from the scheme and how to make the most of it (observation notes, reflection on the experience and competencies gained throughout the process and how to use these in future applications, job/study interviews/CVs and UCAS personal statement).

PhD students

I really enjoyed to be a part of this scheme. I shared some of my schedule, my daily routine work, my experiments and workshops with them and it was fun. This scheme also helped me improve my skills for explaining my work to somebody who is not related to my field. (Ayushi, previous PhD student mentor)

PhD students will act as mentors and lead on the mentoring scheme. They will get the opportunity to develop their mentoring and organisational skills while supporting their mentee and showing them what university studies, and research studies in particular, in their area look like on a day-to-day basis.

They will be encouraged to reflect on their mentoring experience and on ways to create a more inclusive community among PGR students and, more widely, among researchers in the Environmental Sciences.

As an option, one of the mentoring sessions might take place at school where the PhD student will visit their mentee and either provide teaching support in class or after class depending on what can be organised with the relevant science teachers.

Check our previous mentoring scheme webpage to read testimonials from participants.