Our programmes

UCL Engineering tutors and mentors, provide both academic and mentoring support to young people (Year 8 – Year 13) from under-served communities studying one or all the following STEM subjects:  Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Biology, Chemistry. One-to-one or small group sessions take place weekly throughout the school year, either via virtual platforms or at schools and community centres. Our tutoring and mentoring schemes are in partnership with local charities, community centres, organisations, and institutions.  

The UCL STEM Literacy programme works with schools and teachers to embed engineering in primary education and current learning, to improve literacy and numeracy skills as well as understanding of STEM subjects and relevance to everyday life. To learn vital STEM skills and introduce children to the world of engineering, science, and technology from an early age. Trained and highly skilled UCL Engineering STEM Ambassadors act as teaching assistants and role models, supporting with the development and delivery of STEM lesson plans, activities and projects. 

We offer research placements and work experience opportunities to young people, both virtually across the UK through our partners, but also in our UCL Engineering labs. Pupils learn different skills, techniques, and experiment with a wide range of materials, tools, and technologies. Working alongside our academic staff and research students, they gain an insight into STEM career pathways and cutting-edge research in many different areas of engineering. The work experience programmes include projects, expert-led webinars and masterclasses with academia and industry experts, mentoring in small groups by STEM Ambassadors, guidance, and support with university applications and more. 

UCL Engineering staff work collaboratively with STEM education experts to develop Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses and training sessions, providing teachers and other educators across the UK with the subject knowledge that they need to teach the STEM and computing curriculum. We are involved in the development and delivery of learning and teaching resources as well as toolkits and worksheets for a wide range of STEM-related topics.  

We offer teacher placements in our UCL Engineering labs, to Maths, Physics, Biology and Chemistry teachers across the UK. The placements are designed to: introduce and discuss the specific area of engineering research; explore innovative techniques, equipment and technologies developed in our labs; analyse case studies; visit state-of-the-art UCL Engineering labs with demonstration of equipment use; work with teachers to develop interactive activities for schools; and provide an ongoing resource for development of future interactions and materials for teaching purposes. 

Our expert-led STEM lectures explore hot topics in STEM and showcase the world-changing research happening here at UCL Engineering. From artificial heart valves and smart medical machines that perform delicate surgery, to cutting edge sports training equipment and high-tech clothing, to everyday household appliances, personal devices and energy-efficient equipment, our lectures show how engineers help shape the future and make a difference in the world we are living in. This series is designed for young people who want to explore and expand their engineering knowledge and gain insight into the fascinating and wide-ranging world of engineering.  

We host and participate in STEM Careers events across the UK, inviting young people to discover modern engineering and navigate through the wealth of fascinating and wide-ranging STEM career pathways. UCL Engineering STEM Ambassadors support the events, offering masterclasses, workshops and bespoke sessions on STEM careers and degrees.  

We have a strong presence in STEM fairs and festivals across the UK. These events provide a unique opportunity to engage with young audiences of different ages and levels of prior understanding, giving them a fantastic experience with engineering. UCL Engineering academics, research teams and students, showcase our world-changing research through demos, workshops, panel discussions and Q&A sessions.  

“Engineering Everywhere” aims to reach and engage with young people in rural and remote areas from across the UK, who would not otherwise be able to connect with us. We are making full use of web 2.0 tools and technologies to provide access and widen participation to the world of engineering, and give unique access into our state-of-the-art UCL Engineering labs through online interactive sessions with our academic and research teams.  

UCL Engineering participates in Open Days for young people interested in finding more about engineering at university. Attending a UCL Engineering Open Day is an opportunity to find out more about the different programmes we offer, chat with staff and students, explore our cutting-edge research and labs, and learn about student life at UCL. Prospective students can meet our staff and students, visit our departments, and learn about the courses and study opportunities available to them. There is a host of information and recordings from our Virtual Open Days on faculty and departmental pages.