The Scholars Programme

What is the Scholars Programme?

The Scholars Programme is designed to increase access to higher education for under-served students. It uses the passion and expertise of PhD tutors who take their unique research and convert it into an 8-week university style tutorial course for school students to complete. Designed to give pupils an authentic university experience, the Scholars programme builds skills, confidence and motivation. It breaks down barriers to higher education.

Countries we work in

Click on the map to read about our different international programmes.

Ireland
South Africa
Botswana
India
Hong Kong
Malaysia CTG
Malaysia
Taiwan

What we do

We identify high-potential education entrepreneurs (individuals, organisations and university hubs) in countries around the world.
We share our ‘programme blueprint’ of working with postgraduate university students as engaging, inspiring tutors for under-served young people.
We work with partners to design a programme, adapting the ‘blueprint’ to fit their region's university access needs.
We help partners to deliver and then evaluate their university access programmes.
We invest in the development of education entrepreneurs as leaders and organisations to scale their solution nationally.

International Country Programmes

Read about the Scholars Programme in different countries globally. We partner with education entrepreneurs, local NGOs and philanthropists to tailor the programme to local education contexts and schooling systems.

You can read about the programme 'Blueprint' below.

ZA

Scholars South Africa – AccessEd ZA

Launched in 2017 in partnership with Leap Schools, African School for Excellence and Ikamva Youth.
Read more
Botswana

Scholars Botswana

In 2018, Lucy was invited to join the AccessEd incubatorand began work on designing and piloting BW Scholars
Read more
Hong Kong

Scholars Hong Kong

The programme was launched in 2018 in partnership with BEI Capital and is led by HK philanthropist Mr Collin Lau.
Read more
India Scholars Programme

Scholars India

The programme was launched in 2022 in partnership with Youth Dreamers Foundation
Read more
Ireland

Scholars Ireland

Scholars Ireland launched in 2018 in partnership with the Trinity Access 21 project at Trinity College Dublin.
Read more
Malaysia

Closing the Gap Malaysia

AccessEd partnered with Closing the Gap to help set up the first Scholars programme in Malaysia.
Read more
Taiwan Scholars

Scholars Taiwan

The programme was launched in 2022 in partnership National Cheng Chung University and is led by Dr Philippe Huang.
Read more

The ‘Blueprint’ – The Scholars Programme

Based on an independently evaluated model developed by The Brilliant Club in the UK, the programme blueprint harnesses the passion and expertise of postgraduate students at local universities around the world.

What does the programme consist of?

• Postgraduate students are recruited and trained to become tutors and mentors to disadvantaged young people.
• Postgraduate students write a coursebook: they use their authentic research as a course to engage, stimulate and encourage the academic development of young people.
• Tutorial structure delivered in schools, community centres or prisons, where tutors encourage university-style learning.
• Launch and graduation events, and enrichment workshops, providing a holistic and celebratory experience for pupils.

Why this blueprint?

• Not just subject knowledge: instils the learning skills, confidence, motivation and resilience of pupils that boost exam attainment, including critical thinking and independent study.
• Uses effective targeting criteria to reach students in communities which need it the most.
• Robust impact evaluation.
• Helps local universities maximise their internal expertise and resources whilst directly addressing the goal of widening participation.
• Post-graduate researchers are uniquely placed as experts in their field with a strong academic background to support the development of young learners.

Interested in getting involved?

There are variety of ways that you can get involved with AccessEd.

Whether you're an NGO, corporate, university, PhD researcher or entrepreneur looking to set up your own country programme, click below to find out more.

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