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Inspirational 'Investigator' motivates high school students at UEL leadership event

Tuesday 3 August 2010

Motivational specialist Andrew Muhammad visited 50 Newham students participating in the University of East London’s (UEL) Leadership Summer School programme earlier this month to offer inspiration and advice.

Andrew Muhammad, “The Investigator”, one of the UK’s leading motivators and black history culture specialists, gave an inspiring speech to the students encouraging them to have the confidence to apply their newly acquired leadership skills in their school communities.

The keynote presentation was the culmination of a three day residential event at UEL for young people from Royal Docks and Eastlea Community Schools.

Andrew said: “Many young people today don’t appreciate how they can make a difference to their community even on an individual level. Events like the UEL Leadership programme are a fantastic way of giving young people an insight to their hidden talents, and equipping them with the renewed confidence to go out and make a difference. I hope that these young people will be inspired to achieve their personal goals.”

The Leadership Summer School culminated in student presentations to parents, teachers, and representatives from the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation and Newham Borough Council. Students were asked which areas they wanted to address in their schools and to develop ways of improving achievement in those areas. Topics discussed ranged from school uniform dress codes to school sports facilities.

John Middleton, Head of Economic Development at London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (LTGDC) said, “We are delighted to support this programme as it is providing the inspiration and skills to east London’s young individuals who are our future leaders.”

Gail May, UEL Head of Education and Community Partnerships said: “I’m delighted with the outcomes of this project. In terms of the residential we’ve seen the changes in the young people since they arrived and feedback indicates that they have increased their confidence and motivation during the programme. This is fantastic and a really important grounding in developing leadership skills to take back to their schools.”

This is the second leadership event hosted by UEL as part of the two-year collaboration with three local schools. Participants from the 2009 summer school have been active in their school communities since attending Leadership School last year.

Tatiana Amaral, a Royal Docks student and 2009 participant, commented: “The 2009 Summer School experience helped me to gain the confidence to participate in new activities as well as improving my leadership skills”. 2009 participants from Royal Docks and Eastlea Schools have contributed to Fair Trade projects and Student Voice initiatives and it is anticipated that this year’s ‘Leadership graduates’ will be equally active in employing their new skills and confidence within their school communities.

The 3-day event was led by UEL’s Education and Community Partnerships team and funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (LTGDC).

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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