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We are not currently recruiting Taster Presenters.
- What is a Taster Presenter?
Taster Presenters are UCL postgraduate students. They are recruited to deliver academic sessions to groups of prospective students to explore both familiar and new subjects. The sessions should give students a flavour of what it's like to study your subject. It can be your undergraduate or postgraduate subject, and you can do a broad introduction or very specific topic, depending on your subject area. Taster sessions should however be linked to one or more academic subjects taught at UCL. The session should be adaptable to suit a variety of audiences, from Year 7 – 13 (aged 10 to 18).
- What should a taster session include?
Taster sessions usually consist of a 45 minute presentation to a group of students, though some activities may include longer workshops with a smaller group. The sessions are currently all due to be delivered remotely online, but as Covid restrictions ease they may return to being delivered on campus, or may involve going into a local school when it is deemed safe to do so. The session should be interactive, rather than a lecture, and should be fun and engaging. We recommend you include a variety of interactive content such as group discussions, debates, quizzes, demonstrations or videos.
- Why become a taster presenter?
Working as a Taster Presenter is an excellent way to develop teaching skills, practice communicating research and inspire young people to study your subject. Being a Taster Presenter will give you the opportunity to understand the UK education system, experience widening participation within Higher Education and gain transferable skills.
- What commitment is required?
There is no minimum commitment required. The Widening Participation team will contact Taster Presenters via email about opportunities that match your subject are and you sign up for those you are available for. Work opportunities are available throughout the year, with some programmes running on a Saturday or into the early evening. Taster Presenters are paid at an hourly rate of £18.93 (UCL grade 7 point 29) for every hour of teaching, plus an additional two hours for any further preparation you are required to do.
- How can I get involved?
If you are interested in becoming a Taster Presenter, you can submit a proposal for a session you are interested in delivering by completing this online form. This proposal will need to include a session title, the aims and objectives of the session and an outline of the session, with estimated timings for each element of your session. Please see the below job description for further information.
Once you have submitted your proposal, it will be reviewed by the Widening Participation team and, if successful, you will be asked to attend an ‘audition’ in which you will further explain your session to a few members of the Widening Participation office. If it is suitable for our activities, you will be added to our Taster Presenter database and contacted when opportunities become available.There is no deadline for your proposal. We will contact you when we schedule our next round of auditions.
Apply
If you are interested in becoming a Taster Presenter, you can submit a proposal for a session you are interested in delivering by completing this online form. This proposal will need to include a session title, the aims and objectives of the session and an outline of the session, with estimated timings for each element of your session.