Outreach
The School of Psychology and Neuroscience is keen to share its world leading research and teaching expertise and encourages staff and students to engage with the local and wider communities through science festivals, primary and secondary school visits, open days and local organisations.
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Local groupThe ABC Lab within the School hosts a fortnightly Baby Bee giving pregnant mums and parents of young infants (0 to crawling) in the town and surrounding area an opportunity to socialise and discuss their child's development. The group started as an impact case study run by the ABC Lab, and the parents asked if they could continue to meet. It also helps promote the research and activities carried out within the ABC Lab.
Members of the Baby Bee group took part in some research published in 2021, "Meeting the challenges of public engagement, research impact and research participation as a baby and child lab"
Related links
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Local groupDementia Friendly St Andrews is a charitable society that supports and fundraises to raise awareness of dementia by bringing people together from across St Andrews to help educate and understand the needs of those living with dementia and make St Andrews a more dementia-friendly town.
People with dementia sometimes need a helping hand to go about their daily lives and feel included in their local community. A dementia-friendly community is made up of the whole community - shop assistants, public service workers, faith groups, businesses, police, fire and ambulance staff, bus drivers, school pupils, clubs and societies, university staff and students and community leaders - people who are committed to working together and helping people with dementia remain a part of their community. This involves learning a little about dementia and doing very simple and practical things that can make an enormous difference to people living with the condition.
Dr Maggie Ellis leads the campaign for a Dementia Friendly St Andrews. Maggie's work is focused on applied dementia research, and in particular on facilitating communication for people with advanced dementia. She teaches both undergraduate and postgraduate courses at St Andrews on the psychology of dementia and the psychology of dementia care. She also provides training and consultancy for dementia care staff, families, charities and businesses.
Related links
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EventThe Science Discovery Day is part of British Science Week and is an open, free annual event for the general public hosted by the University. Staff, postgraduates and undergraduates from the School contribute interactive demonstrations and activities to an average audience of around 600 people of all ages.
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EventResearchers and technical staff take part in science fairs across the country. Examples are listed below.
- Fife Science Festival
- Dundee Science Festival
- Edinburgh Science Festival
- The Royal Society
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EventExploration is a Scotland-wide celebration of research. Researchers in the Arts, Humanities and Sciences are all invited to participate and engage with St Andrews' communities, and each other, with research conducted at the University of St Andrews.
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EventThis is an annual showcase for the School's final year students and is open to the general public. This normally occurs during the Fife school’s vacation period and is regularly attended by more than 100 visitors.
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Widening participationSince 2002 the School has been a major contributor to the Sutton Trust Summer School programme funded by the Sutton Trust and administered through the University's Admissions unit. The aim is to demystify elite universities and to equip students with the knowledge and insight to make high-quality applications to them.
During the week, participants take part in a varied programme of academic and social activities designed to give insight into what university study would be like. Students live in a university hall of residence and attend academic sessions in two subject areas of their choice.
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Widening participationThe Scottish Wider Access Programme (SWAP) supports access to higher education for adult learners. SWAP access programmes run at colleges across Scotland and are a proven route into hundreds of degree courses at partner universities. The School's programmes are specifically designed for adults who are returning to education after a gap, and who have the motivation and ability to go on to study at university or for a higher level qualification at college.
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Widening participationLift Off delivers the Scottish Funding Council’s national Schools for Higher Education programme in Fife and Tayside. Fife and Tayside is defined as the area that includes the four local authorities of Fife, Dundee City, Angus and Perth and Kinross. The School of Psychology and Neuroscience represents the University by delivering sessions on each of the two residential weeks that are hosted here in St Andrews.
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Widening participationThe Teachers Together Conference is a key event which brings together stakeholders from all sectors of education to help ensure that relevant, accurate and timely guidance is given to pupils preparing for university.
The conference provides an open and relaxed atmosphere in which attendees can share knowledge and best practice from across the education sector. It also gives the School the opportunity to hear about subject developments in schools which may influence attainment and achievement levels.
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Widening participationThe School contributes at all stages to the First Chances Fife programme which is collaboratively funded by the University of St Andrews, Fife Education, Robertson Trust, Scottish Funding Council and Fife Council. This innovative programme aims to raise the aspirations and attainment of selected pupils from P7 to S6 throughout their school journey, with continued support into further and higher education.
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Widening participationThe adult learning day is an opportunity to visit and find out more about learning and training opportunities across Fife. From vocational training right through to part-time degree level study. This is a showcase event for both traditional qualifications and other routes through, for example, volunteering and community participation.
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Widening participationThe Reach Project at the University of St Andrews provides advice regarding school subject choices and a variety of events and workshops to learn more about studying Medicine, Economics, Management or Psychology. Pupils who take part in the programme will also benefit from longer term schemes to develop study skills and knowledge, as well as the ongoing support of the Reach team.
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Widening participationIn S6, pupils have the option to follow the Developing Knowledge and Preparing for the Future programme where they can attend workshops that they did not have the opportunity to the previous year in the School's First Chances programme.
Alternatively, pupils are encouraged to engage with the Brilliant Club scholars programme. Through engagement with this programme, pupils will study a subject they are thinking of pursuing into higher education in greater detail. The programme will be delivered in a series of university-style tutorials. A final assignment will be submitted and graduation from the programme will take place at the end of the year.
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Widening participationLaunched in 2015 and sponsored by the Royal Society of Edinburgh, this essay competition, aimed at S2 pupils, has attracted the participation of 68 schools from Aberdeen to Unst, Ayr to Fife, big schools and small schools, and an astonishing (and fantastic) range of submissions. The competition involves a 750-word creative piece about any Scottish scientist (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) alive or dead, or the impact of their discoveries or inventions. The School is trying to put the Arts into STEM - STE(A)M.