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A taste of university life

Our Outreach and Student Recruitment teams offer a dynamic range of free activities and events - both in person and virtual - for primary school, secondary school, sixth form and college students, across the UK and around the world.

Information and advice is also available for teachers, advisers and counsellors, alongside bespoke events, CPD opportunities and our Annual Teachers’ and Advisers’ Conference,  to help you in supporting students to make informed decisions about progression to Higher Education.

We also extend our support to parents, guardians and carers.

We’re proud to have ‘the world in one place’ here at Essex, so have opportunities for EU and international schools and colleges to connect with us, as well as those based here in the UK.  

Events
We host a huge variety of virtual and face-to-face events every year, for students, parents and teachers.
Talks, Visits and Workshops
Get a flavour of studying at university. Our world-class academics are able to offer insightful talks and lectures, to engage and inspire your students.
Online courses
If you are currently a student in Years 10-13, the University of Essex would love you to join our online community of young people who are working towards a better future.
Student Resources
Need some help to decide what to do after school or college, or do you want some quick tips and tricks to improve your skillset now, our resources for students will support you both in and out of the classroom.
Teacher Resources
We offer a range of resources and support for Teachers through online courses, events and workshops.
Schools Membership Scheme
The University’s Schools Membership scheme creates an exclusive network of schools, sixth forms and colleges across the UK and around the world, allowing us to allocate resources more effectively.
CPD for Teachers and Advisers
We recognise the vital role that teachers and advisers play in building their students’ aspirations, so are committed to investing in your continuing professional development wherever we can.
International Resources
Essex is proud to work with schools and colleges all around the world to support teachers, advisors and counsellors with the university application process, and provide an insight for students into what it's like to study at university in the UK.
Information for parents and guardians
Information for parents and guardians to help support informed university decision-making, including application advice, funding and what students can expect in their academic journeys.

Make Happen

We unlock opportunities for young people across Essex by helping them make informed choices about their education and future.

Part of UniConnect

Based at the University of Essex, Make Happen is part of the Office for Students’ UniConnect programme, and we’re one of 29 national partnerships that bring together teachers from schools and colleges, with universities and other local educational partners, to offer activities, advice and information on the benefits and realities of going to university or college to study a degree, or to take a degree apprenticeship. We are also dedicated to supporting school students’ exploration of the world of work and career progression.

Our work has a particular focus on areas of the county where participation in higher education is lower than might be expected, given the GCSE results of the young people who live there.

Reaching thousands of young people across Essex

We started in 2016, and by 2024 we have engaged with over 102,034 unique learners across the county, from 350 schools and further education colleges through our activities – and we have achieved a total of 2,212 engagements with parents and carers. These have ranged from university taster days to mentoring programmes, and study skills workshops to aspirational careers programmes.

We continue to deliver a varied programme of activities to the same partner schools and colleges – with all of our work being supported by continuous evaluation of our programme’s effectiveness.

Meet our teams

Schools and Colleges Liaison Team

Schools and Colleges Liaison Team

Ask us about:

Open days, Offer Holder Days, UCAS

The University of Essex Schools and Colleges Liaison Team work with schools and colleges across the UK and around the world. The team focuses resources to support schools in enabling post-16 students to make informed higher-education decisions. The team coordinates our Essex Open Days, Offer Holder Days, and UCAS exhibition, in addition to our schools-focused events and bespoke on-campus activity and delivering sessions in schools and colleges.

Outreach team

Outreach team

Ask us about:

Online short courses, Teacher CPD

The Outreach team co-ordinate multiple activities and events throughout the year including Teacher CPD opportunities, a podcast series and online short courses. Using teacher feedback, we design our events to increase attainment, raise aspirations and help young people make informed decisions about study routes and career progression. We predominantly work with students from underrepresented groups, including those who are the first in their family to enter Higher Education, those from particular socioeconomic backgrounds, and those from certain ethnic and racial minority groups.

Also see
Schools and Colleges Privacy Statement
Get in touch
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