bloss.m Scholars gain insight into university life with UCL Priority Groups Team 

bloss.m, a charity dedicated to mentoring young women, partnered with UCL’s Priority Groups team to inspire participants through a day packed with informative and engaging activities. This day was tailored to members of bloss.m Scholars, a programme run by bloss.m specifically for African and Caribbean young women in the UK.

The visit introduced participants to university life, the application process, and the diverse opportunities at UCL. Kicking off the day, the group engaged in sessions with UCL staff covering these topics, followed by a campus tour led by a Student Ambassador. This tour was a highlight for many, with one participant commenting: 

“My favourite part today was the tour because we really got to look at things in depth."

After lunch at the UCL Refectory, where students asked informal questions about university experiences, the group attended an interactive taster lecture on AI in Personalised Medicine. An MA student in Biomedicine and Healthcare introduced them to the real-world applications of AI in healthcare, which attendees found “fun, interactive and informative.” 

Jala Pour, Senior Widening Participation Officer, said: 

“The project team were delighted to see how much the participants already knew about Higher Education, and we hope that the information and guidance sessions covering the university application process and examples of courses that you can study at UCL were useful."

This event is one of many initiatives by the Priority Groups team to increase representation of Black students at UCL, so that the UCL student body better reflects the multicultural make-up of London, where a large proportion of UCL’s intake comes from. Programmes like Envision UCL for Year 10 students further extend these opportunities, helping prospective students feel more informed and confident in their journey toward higher education.