Category Archives: Student opportunities

How would you change the world? £1,000 Graham-Roger prize

The University of Kent is inviting students at secondary schools and FE colleges across Kent and Medway to enter the Graham-Roger prize to showcase their ambition and compete for the chance to win a substantial prize. The £1,000 prize for Kent students is being offered for a second year, following a successful debut in 2022.

The theme for this year’s Graham-Roger Prize is based on a quote by Jane Goodall, who’s pioneering research on chimpanzees forever changed the way that we understand both animals and ourselves: ‘What you do makes a difference… and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.’ Jane Goodall’s quote encourages people to reflect on their actions and the impact they have on the world, and to make a conscious decision to use their skills and abilities to make a positive difference.

Students are being asked to think how this call to action resonates today and how they can make a difference to their local community, society or the world. Submissions can take the form of an essay, article, poem, speech or video.

Kent student and 2022 entry, Kate Anku-Tsede, said: ‘I really enjoyed working on my submission for the Graham-Roger prize, so much so that it became the inspiration for the Masters that I am currently studying in Media Practice for Social Change and Development. It was the process and planning I enjoyed the most, even though I was quite nervous about it all. I am therefore delighted to continue to be involved in this prize as a judge this year, and can’t wait to see the great work that students will come up with this year. This is a really important prize in getting young people thinking about how they can make a difference in the world.’

Prizes will be awarded in the following categories as judged by the University’s awarding committee. Each category will also have a runner-up prize of a £100 gift voucher.

Year 10 – Tablet (equivalent to £300)
Year 11 – Tablet (equivalent to £300)
Year 12/13 and FE students – £1000
University of Kent students – £1000

The deadline for submissions is 20 May.

More details on the Prize and how to enter can be found on the University’s Graham-Roger Prize webpage.

The Graham-Roger Prize for International Citizenship is generously supported by the Marchesi-Reggiori Fund and is dedicated to the memory of two men, one from the USA and one from the UK, both of whom survived Japanese prisoner-of-war camps during WWII.

Santander Universities MacBook Air prize draw

Win a brand-new MacBook Air in this new Prize Draw.

Exclusively for students in higher education, this is the latest in a series of initiatives from Santander Universities designed to enhance students’ university experience and ensure they have the tools they need to succeed.

All university students are eligible, including both undergraduate and postgraduate, part-time and full-time. You don’t need to bank with Santander to be eligible.

Enter before 12 May for your chance to win one of ten MacBook Airs.

Volunteering: 50/50 Project to celebrate 50 Years of the British Cartoon Archive

Help us to select 50 cartoons representing 50 years of the British Cartoon Archive!

We are looking for volunteers to participate in a project to explore and select 50 cartoons from across the British Cartoon Archive collections to feature in an exhibition in the Templeman Gallery. The project will take place on Mondays, 11:00-16:00, throughout June 2023. The exhibition will be on display from September to November 2023.

This is an opportunity to get hands-on with our cartoon collections and be involved with our celebration activities for the 50^th anniversary of the British Cartoon Archive. Volunteers will receive a tour of the collections, training in searching our catalogues and writing captions, and an opportunity to gain experience in selecting material and curating an exhibition. Remote participation is also available.

Get in touch with us for more information or to volunteer to take part. We would love to hear from you: specialcollections@kent.ac.uk

Find out more and enjoy a selection of cartoons from the British Cartoon Archive marking other 50th anniversaries on their site!

Graduate and Researcher College Prizes nominations deadline

The Graduate and Researcher College continues to recognise the excellence of its postgraduate researchers and the outstanding work carried out by academic and professional service staff in support of postgraduate research and education, through a series of GRC Prizes (first launched in 2018).

Staff and students are invited to nominate someone (or themselves) for one of the following prizes:

Director of Graduate Studies/Programme Academic Lead (Division/School/Centre)
Postgraduate Professional Service Champion
Postgraduate Researcher
Postgraduate Teacher
Research Degree Supervisor

Each of the prizes will be worth £500 which will be transferred to the winner’s school, centre or department for the use of:

Travel and subsistence in relation to research including conference fees, books, consumables, survey costs or any other cost that can be shown in relation to their research.
Staff development courses and related travel and subsistence costs.

See the GRC website to learn more about the awards and to nominate someone.

Gulbenkian Open Air Film Festival, 11 May – 8 June

Get ready for an epic summer of cinema under the stars! From 11 May – 8 June, as part of the Gulbenkian Open Air Film Festival, you can enjoy a different movie every Thursday night on the big screen outside the Gulbenkian Arts Centre!

The festival will be showing a variety of different films, from 90’s romantic comedy, Pretty Woman; to biographical fantasy musical, Rocketman.

Gulbenkian Open Air Cinema events are free to attend and non-ticketed, so you can just turn up on the night and enjoy the film!

What’s on?

Encanto (Sing Along) – Thursday 11 May, 21:00
Licorice Pizza – Thursday 18 May, 21:00
Pretty Woman – Thursday 25 May, 21:00
Shaun of the Dead – Thursday 1 June, 21:00
Rocketman – Thursday 8 June, 21:00

Gulbenkian Open Air Film Festival Poster 2023.

Will there be food and drink?

A selection of food, drink, and snacks will be available for purchase during the event. Enjoy fries, wings, nachos, ice cream, popcorn, sweets, and drinks while you sit back and enjoy the film.

There will also be an outdoor bar, serving a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

Can I bring something to sit on?

There will be hay bales to sit on, but you are more than welcome to bring backrests, chairs, or picnic blankets to watch the film. We recommend you wrap up warm and wear lots of layers – even summer nights can get quite cold.

What happens if it rains?

As we all know, the Great British Summer can be unpredictable, so in the event of rain, film screenings will move indoors to the Gulbenkian Arts Centre cinema (except for Licorice Pizza on Thursday 18 May).

What time does the film start?

The film starts at 21.00, but you are more than welcome to arrive earlier, get comfortable, and order some snacks before the film begins. Food and bar open from 18.00.

Are the screenings accessible?

Access to the site is along level, hard paths.

The cinema area is predominantly level grass, with limited hard standing pathways. In the event of bad weather, mud and puddles are likely.

Please let us know if you require any additional support and our on-site staff members will be more than happy to help.

Are there toilet facilities?

Yes, toilets are available in the Gulbenkian Arts Centre.

Will there be subtitles?

Films will not be shown with subtitles. However, for hearing-impaired guests, we recommend the use of an app called ‘Subtitle Viewer’ where you can search for the film and play the subtitles as the film plays on the big screen.

For more information, please email Daniel Parsons – D.Parsons@kent.ac.uk

New Online drug and alcohol support group

The Forward Trust are running a free online course called ‘Change Up’ exclusively for Kent students to overcome the feelings of isolation that can accompany drug use or addiction, and to explore the links between addiction, mental health and self-worth, and the impacts on relationships.

By taking part, you’ll also get access to the Change Up community of young people who are taking part in or have previously taken part in the course.

Who with?

The course is run by a friendly, experienced facilitator from the Forward Trust named Rupert. There’s no hidden agenda to stop using, it’s just a structured setting to talk about your experiences and be supported.

What do I need to do?

It will run over five weeks online Thursday evenings 18:00-19:30 from Thursday 18 May to Thursday 15 June 2023, so you need to be available for all of those Thursday evening slots (18 May, 25 May, 1 June, 8 June, 15 June).

It consists of these five small-group sessions and two additional 1:1 sessions which are organised according to your availability.

If you’d like to participate, please complete the confidential Change Up self-referral form online. You will then be contacted by Rupert, the Forward Trust facilitator, on next steps to take part.

Questions?

If you have any questions, email WellbeingEvents@kent.ac.uk and we’ll be happy to help, or pass on your query if we can’t answer it. Or you can fill in the confidential self-referral form and the group facilitator will get in touch so you can ask any questions before committing to the course.

Want to know more about other wellbeing events and peer support groups? Check out the Student Support and Wellbeing events calendar, or follow @UniKentSSW on Instagram for the latest on what’s on and advice to stay well and connected.

Kent Giving Week, 20 – 24 March

A recent survey of UK students found a monthly shortfall of £439 between the average student’s maintenance loan and living costs. 10% of students recorded having used a food bank in the last academic year and 37% said the cost of living crisis might prevent them from continuing their studies altogether.

It’s against this backdrop that Kent Giving Week 2023 will be supporting our student community by raising £25,000 to provide 10,000 meals for individuals who need them most.

From volunteering your time, fundraising or simply attending an event, there are plenty of ways to get involved, including:

On Tuesday 21 March, watch local chefs cook low-cost meals at the ‘In the Kitchen Cooking Show’. There will be opportunities to try the food and the first 100 students to register get to go for free!
On Thursday 23 March, walk, dance, scoot or run ‘5k Your Way’ for free with a student ticket. Register now.

If you are facing financial hardship, please see support available to you and contacts on our cost of living web pages.

Ready to be next year’s Residential Life Assistants?

Do you want to be part of creating a memorable student experience for students living on campus at the University of Kent? Join the Residential Life Assistant team, gain invaluable work experience and get a massive 50% discount on your on-campus accommodation for the 2023/24 academic year! Our Residential Life Assistants (RLAs) are part of the College and Community Life team and are at the heart of our College Communities.

You will build relationships both on and off campus, to develop the sense of belonging and community, whilst working together to create exciting events for your peers. This is an great opportunity to get flexible work experience alongside your studies for 8 hours per week, and is open to both postgraduates and undergraduates in their 2nd, 3rd and 4th years of study.

Claire, who is an RLA this academic year says:

“I have really enjoyed being a Residential Life Assistant during my masters degree. It has encouraged me to take breaks when organising fun events rather than just studying, helping to make my degree experience more balanced. I have got to know so many students throughout the year, and I have particularly enjoyed helping students to have fun and get more involved with our events, as well as other events the at the university”.

To apply for the position, read the full job description and email hccl@kent.ac.uk with a statement of no more than 500 words expressing why you’d like to be considered for an RLA post and how your experience makes you the best candidate for the role. Applications must be received by Monday 3 April and interviews are expected to take place in mid-late April.

We look forward to receiving your application, and hearing about how you would like to contributing to a fantastic student experience for everyone at Kent.

Written by Natalia Crisanti, Student Services, 14.03.23

Diamond Anniversary Orchard planting, 15 March

This academic year we have launched the Diamond Anniversary Orchard project and planned the planting of an orchard of over 300 fruit and nut trees. This project was designed to celebrate that most undergraduates starting this year will graduate in 2025 which is the University’s 60th birthday and it is hoped that our students can watch the orchard grow and be part of its transformation from grassland to a complete and flourishing space.

Help us plant more trees

We managed to plant some trees last week in the snow (!) but need your help to plant more. Our next planting session is Wednesday 15 March between 10:00-13:00. You can come for as long or as little as you like. There will be a full briefing at the beginning of the session and newcomers throughout will be paired up with someone that has been trained.

Why an orchard?

The Southern Slopes provides an ideal setting for a semi-natural orchard and meadow that will not only be a beautiful space for students, staff and community members to enjoy, but also provides a complex habitat that will boost biodiversity in the area.

Step one is planting the fruiting trees, which once mature, will provide future students with fruit and nuts that they can harvest and enjoy. Later this year we will be seeding wildflower seeds to create an understory meadow that we will cut swathes through proving a peaceful space to walk through and enjoy.

Because this orchard will be a mosaic of trees, grasses, shrubs, wildflowers, and a pond, it will support a wide range of wildlife. As fruit trees age quickly, they create the perfect habitats for invertebrates and birds, such as the lesser spotted woodpecker and the rare noble chafer beetle.

This unique habitat will also feature key elements for our human community bring people and nature together. Accessible pathing so everyone can enjoy the space; seating with a view for meditation, rest or socialising; an outdoor teaching area; and a bird hide to spot nature from a quiet vantage point.

All the elements will be tied together with a central point that marks the six academic divisions that make up our learning community, celebrating all the students that will be our class of 2025 and beyond.

Get a free ticket for Kent Giving Week’s cooking show

There are 100 free student tickets to see Kent Giving Week’s ‘In The Kitchen Cooking Show’ on Tuesday 21 March at 12:00-13:00 in Darwin Conference Suite.

The show includes free tasters but you will have to be quick before all the free tickets go!

Get your free ticket now!

Professional chefs will provide a masterclass on how to cook their trademark dishes on a budget. What’s more, our fabulous in-house caterers will recreate them for the audience.

Find out more about Kent Giving Week and how you can get involved!

Photo by Jason Briscoe on Unsplash