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To develop a national STEM e-mentoring programme by combining Brightside's successful pilot engineering (www.livejournals.org), chemical science (www.futureblogs.org) and physics (www.bigbangblogs.org) based e-mentoring programmes aimed at overcoming social disadvantage. The current individual pilot programmes have demonstrated success at raising aspirations, confidence and motivation of socially disadvantaged young people (14-18 years old) to support them in studying STEM at further and higher education. Currently over 400 mentees have gone through the programme supported by university students or professionals from a STEM background.
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The project was developed to help overcome the STEM skill sector shortage by widening the access of young people studying STEM at school and Higher Education. As ementoring is extremely scalable and cost-effective, it provides an innovative method to tackle this problem. In addition, ementoring has no geographic barriers and is extremely flexible enabling busy professionals to support young people throughout the UK. The programme has helped mentees: Increase aspirations to enter HE Raise confidence and motivation to school work and future studies. Make an informed choice about which subjects to study at HE Provided greater understanding of HE and how to get there Provided modern STEM role models The programme works with University WP departments to implement the e-mentoring scheme, providing a safe and secure unique ementoring software, recruitment, training for mentees/mentors and continued monitoring of the ementoring programme. In addition, a comprehensive evaluation is provided. Financial breakdown for 3 year interim funding period to 2012: Target mentees: 10,000 to 20,000 Target volunteer mentors: 3,000 to 6,000 Regions: Nationwide including England, Scotland and Wales Year 1: £178,500 Year 2: £156,000 Year 3: £171,000 Total: £505,500 Cost per mentee: £24 - £50 Brightside currently run a medicine/healthcare e-mentoring programme which is self-sustaining. We would envisage corporate sponsorship, annual subscription by schools or universities to take the STEM e-mentoring programme forward.