Thirty-four of the first ’‘graduates’ from the National Academy for Gifted & Talented Youth (NAGTY) are now studying at the University of Cambridge, according to data published today in the Times Higher Education Supplement.

NAGTY was set up by the Government in 2002 to ensure that the brightest five per cent of school/college students get the opportunities and support they need to achieve their potential and to advise education professionals in their work with gifted and talented children.

In addition to holding events for its members, NAGTY also co-ordinates the Higher Education Gateway, a national Aimhigher-funded project enabling bright 11 to 19-year-olds from backgrounds where very few people go into higher education to take part in lectures, summer schools and other learning opportunities at leading universities.

Cambridge has been heavily involved with the Higher Education Gateway from the outset and, in January 2005, was the venue for the inaugural Gateway lecture by Professor James Jackson and Dr Gopal Madabhushi on the topic of ‘Living with Earthquakes’.

The University’s Higher Education Gateway activities fall into four categories: ‘Experts in Action’ events, at which a leading academic brings his/her research to life; ‘Challenge Days’, at which students participate in a number of events giving them a taste of university-style study in a subject; ‘Engineering Design Challenges’, three-month-long design projects in which teams of students work together online, with the help of a current Cambridge undergraduate e-mentor; and the forthcoming ‘Archaeology Discovery Days’, a hands-on archaeological dig.

The Higher Education Gateway events coming up at Cambridge this summer include:

20 May: VET/CAM Challenge Day
For 16 to 19-year-olds considering studying veterinary medicine.
Note: Closing date for applications is tomorrow (12 May)

24 June: Exploring the Classical World
For 11 to 14-year-olds interested in classical studies and ancient history. Run by the Cambridge Schools Classics Project

24 June, 8 July and 24 July: Archaeology Discovery Days
For 14 to 17-year-olds interested in archaeology. Run by Carenza Lewis, the University of Cambridge archaeologist who appears on Channel 4’s ‘Time Team’

8 July: The Art of Problem Solving
For 11 to 14-year-olds who enjoy maths. Run by NRICH, part of the Millennium Mathematics Project

All these events are free. Places must be booked via NAGTY’s Higher Education Gateway website at http://www.nagty.ac.uk/student_academy/he_gateway/index.aspx.

Departmental initiatives from the University of Cambridge, including the Millennium Mathematics Project and the Cambridge Schools Classics Project, have also run events for NAGTY members.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence. If you use this content on your site please link back to this page.