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Discover Lancaster activities
Tab Content: Year 8
Year 8: Discover, Explore, Develop
Discover and Discuss (In School)
An interactive session led by trained student ambassadors introduces students to higher education, progression routes, and future possibilities. Students explore common misconceptions, reflect on their interests, and prepare for their campus experience.
Discover and Explore (On Campus)
Students visit Lancaster University for a full day of activities, including:
- Subject taster sessions
- An interactive campus tour
- A student ambassador Q&A panel
- Reflection and evaluation activities
The visit helps demystify university and build familiarity with the environment.
10:00am: Arrival
10:00 - 10:15am: Welcome
10:15 - 11am: TASTER SESSION 1
11:00 - 11:10am: Break
11:10am - 12:00pm: TASTER SESSION 2
12:00 - 12:40pm: Lunch
12:40 - 1:00pm: Campus tour
1:30 - 1:55pm: Student Ambassador Q&A panel and Evaluation
2:00pm: Day ends
Tab Content: Year 9
Year 9: Discover the Challenge
In Year 9, the programme deepens from aspiration-building into enquiry and research.
Discover the Challenge (In School)
Students are introduced to the idea of university as a place of research and real-world problem-solving. Working in teams, they begin exploring a broad challenge theme such as:
- Climate and environment
- Health and wellbeing
- Technology and society
- Inequality and communities
Students develop a “Challenge Brief” outlining who is affected, why the issue matters, and what they want to explore.
Thinking Like a Researcher (On Campus)
During a research immersion day, students learn how researchers:
- Ask meaningful questions
- Use evidence
- Test ideas
- Work collaboratively
- Embrace uncertainty
Through hands-on workshops linked to real university research, students apply research tools to their own challenge and refine their ideas.
10:00 - 10:30am: Welcome and How researchers think session
10:40am - 12:10pm: Research in action workshops
12:15 - 1:00pm: Lunch
1:00 - 1:55pm: Team working time
2:00pm: Day ends
Celebration and Challenge Showcase (On Campus)
The programme culminates in a celebratory showcase event where students present their challenge solutions through research-style posters. Academics, researchers, and student ambassadors provide constructive feedback,validating students as contributors and reinforcing progression pathways into Years 10 and 11.
There is no formal judging — the focus is on creativity, curiosity, and thoughtful enquiry.
By the end of the programme, students:
- Feel confident participating in university spaces
- Understand that higher education is about enquiry, ideas, and impact
- Recognise their own strengths and transferable skills
- Can see themselves as future learners in higher education
Discover positions young people not as visitors to university — but as emerging scholars, thinkers, and problem-solvers.
10:00am - 10:15am: Welcome and what is a research poster?
10:15am - 12:00pm: Poster creation session
12:00 - 12:30pm: Employability session and skills – delivered by the careers team
12:30 - 1:00pm: Lunch
1:00 - 1:55pm: Poster presentation session and celebration
1:55 - 2:00pm: Evaluation
2:00pm: Day ends
Tab Content: Other Years
The Discover Programme is planning to expand for further year groups. If you have a specific request that has not been covered in a Year 8 or Year 9 offer, please get in touch with us at wp@lancaster.ac.uk.