Bursaries and scholarships are both great ways to support students financially while they’re at university, however bursaries and scholarships are often confused as being the same thing.
Both scholarships and bursaries are given out to help students financially without the need for them to pay them back.
This blog will explore the difference between a scholarship and a bursary and how you can make the most of them.
What’s a scholarship?
Scholarships usually come from independent third parties and universities to help students accelerate their education by offering financial aid. They often place focus on academic excellence.
Eligibility may include:
- Academic achievements.
- Personal circumstances, such as where you live or religious background.
- Musical achievements.
- Sporting achievements.
What’s a bursary?
Bursaries are usually offered to those with financial needs to help cover education costs or one off payments to help with living costs.
Criteria students need to meet to receive a bursary:
- They are a home or EU student.
- Their income is less than £25,000.
- They’re household income is between £25,001 – £42,611.
- They have a disability or long term health condition where Disability Living Allowance (DLA) isn’t available.
- They’re working or studying away from their university.
- They have previously been in care.
- They’re a carer for an adult or child.
- They’re living in a hostel or student accommodation.
Despite this criteria, some bursaries may not be available to:
- Part time students.
- Postgraduate students.
- NHS sponsored or funded students.
- Students on placement years, years abroad or sandwich years.
- Students who are paying reduced tuition fees.
Tips on applying for a scholarship or bursary
Applying for a scholarship or bursary can be very stressful, as you want to get everything right. But with these 7 tips, you’ll find applying for a scholarship or bursary easier than ever.
Consider your chances
When applying for a scholarship or bursary it’s important to consider your chances. For example, if your parents earn a high income you’re unlikely to receive a bursary. However you may be eligible for scholarships relating to academic or musical achievements.
You should also look at the value of the award and how many are available, to help you understand how likely you are to receive it.
Check if you need to apply and whether there’s a deadline
Scholarships often require you to fill out an application to see whether you’re eligible and a good fit for the award. However bursaries tend to be automatically awarded as a result of personal circumstances or grade achievements.
If you need to fill out an application for an award, then you’re likely to need to have a place confirmed at a university. Due to this you should keep an eye on application deadlines to ensure you apply on time and give yourself the best possible chance.
Look at key dates and when you may be successful
When you’re applying to a scholarship you should look at the eligibility, how to apply and when you’re meant to hear if you’re successful.
In terms of bursaries depending on income or personal circumstances, you’re likely to know whether you’re eligible for a bursary when you get your student finance assessment.
Share your information with student finance
When you apply for your student loan you should tick the box that allows student finance to share your information with universities. This allows them to judge whether you’re eligible for any scholarships or bursaries.
Look out for other opportunities
You can keep an eye out for any new scholarships or bursaries when you visit university open days or interviews. Clearing is also a great time to look out for scholarships or bursaries as some universities may make increases to fill application places.
Take pride in your application
When completing an application it’s important that you take the time and effort to fill it out properly. You should check for any errors and ensure you answer all questions honestly and accurately.
Furthermore, if you’re having difficulty answering or understanding any questions in the application, there’s no harm in contacting the university or provider for help.
Be realistic
When applying or thinking about applying for a bursary or grant you should consider whether you want to attend a university because you like it or because you like the award they offer. If it’s the latter, it isn’t wise to attend a university you’re not interested in and you should consider other options.
Types of scholarship or bursary
Scholarships are usually awarded for merit based and talent based achievements, whereas bursaries are usually awarded on a need basis.
Types of scholarships
- Musical scholarships
- Sport scholarships
- Personal circumstance scholarships
- Vocational scholarships (offered by businesses)
Types of bursary
- Bursaries based on grade achievements
- Personal circumstance bursaries, such as those with difficult backgrounds or live in a low income household.
Benefits
Scholarships tend to offer an automatic reduction or cover entire tuition fees and can also offer discounts alongside annual, term-wise or one-off payments for living costs.
Whereas bursaries offer money to cover education costs or one off payments to help with living costs.
Despite scholarships and bursaries offering awards for different reasons they have a number of similar benefits, such as:
- Reduced financial burden.
- Ability to focus on education without worrying about income.
- They show that you’re hard working and determined.
- They highlight that you’re accomplished and make your CV stand out.
Millennium Point’s scholarship
Millennium Point Trust has partnered with Birmingham City University to offer a scholarship where one undergraduate degree is paid for each year.
With over 20 courses included in the scholarship there’s lots to choose from. However the application deadline closes on the 17th March 2023. To apply for the scholarship, visit our website today.
How to apply
You’re eligible to apply to the scholarship if you’re 18 and planning on starting university by September 2023. You must be within the West Midlands Combined Authority and looking to start a degree included within the scholarship list.
Eligible degree courses include:
Engineering
- Automotive Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Electronic Engineering
- Manufacturing Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
Built environment
- Architectural Technology
- Building Surveying
- Construction Management
- Quantity Surveying
- Real Estate
Digital Technology
- Digital Media Computing
- Digital Film Production
- Visual Effects
- Music Technology
- Sound Engineering and Production
Computing
- Business Information Technology
- Computer Games Technology
- Computer Networks and Security
- Computer Science
- Digital Forensics
- Computing and Information Technology
- Cyber Security
- Computer Science with Artificial Intelligence
The application has two stages with the second stage being an assessment day where you’ll participate in developmental workshops.
For further advice on applying for a scholarship, read our helpful guide here.
Going to university can be really expensive and it can be really hard to fund your university experience. However, scholarships are a great way to help students by supporting them financially.
If you’re a student and looking for extra financial support during your university years, you may have assumed that you’re not eligible for a scholarship, however you may be surprised at the types of scholarships some organisations offer.
This blog will explore everything you need to know about scholarships and how you can apply.
What is a scholarship?
Scholarships are a form of financial aid given to students to help accelerate their education. They usually come from independent third parties and universities and students don’t need to pay them back.
Who can apply for a scholarship?
There are various reasons why you may be able to apply for a scholarship, including:
- If you’ve done well in your exams or other academic work.
- If you have an extracurricular talent such as a musical instrument or sport.
- If you’re the first person in your family to go to university.
- If you’re in financial need.
- If you have a disability.
Types of scholarships you can apply for
It’s often assumed that scholarships are only for typically academic subjects, however this isn’t true. Scholarships are available for a variety of reasons and subjects.
Here are some examples of the types of scholarships available:
- Academic Excellence Scholarships – Some universities offer money for achieving certain A-level grades to help support students further.
- Musical Scholarships – offered for those with musical talents.
- Personal circumstances – This can be based on where you live, where you go to school and what your parents do.
- Financial need – offers money for those who are in financial need and may not be able to attend university without it.
- Sporting achievement – Usually offered to those with high achievements in sport to help universities attract the best talent.
Scholarships at Millennium Point
Millennium Point has partnered with Birmingham City University to give a fully funded Undergraduate degree at their Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment.
Visit our website to apply for the 2023/2024 applications today.
Key dates
- Application open date update – 9th January 2023
- Scholarship Application deadline – 17th March 2023
- Assessment day at Millennium Point – To be confirmed
What courses are included?
Multiple courses are included in our scholarship partnership with Birmingham City University, such as:
- Engineering
- Built Environment
- Digital Technology
- Computing
Are you eligible?
To be eligible for our scholarship you’ll need to meet the following criteria:
- You live in the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) of the United Kingdom.
- You will be 18 and looking to start an undergraduate degree in September 2023.
- Your course is included in our list.
- You don’t already have an undergraduate or above qualification.
- You’re not currently studying an undergraduate or above qualification.
- You meet the entry requirements for your chosen course – you can find this out on the BCU website.
How can you apply for the scholarship?
You are currently able to apply for the scholarship through our online application form. The form will consist of a few questions about you and why you think you should be chosen for our scholarship in partnership with Birmingham City University.
The application process has two stages, with the final stage being an assessment day and the chosen candidate getting their university tuition paid for in the form of a grant.
Visit our website today to learn more about the application process and whether you’re eligible.
Applications are now open once again for the life changing scholarship. In partnership with Birmingham City University each year Millennium Point Trust fund an undergraduate degree at BCU.
There are over 20 courses to choose from included in the scholarship.
Update: Keep an eye out for 2024’s application, opening Monday 8th January 2024.
Hatem impressed judges last year and secured Scholarship victory
Hatem was currently studying an Extended Diploma in IT (Network and Security) at Solihull College and had ambitions to study Computer Science at university. Information of the Millennium Point Scholarship landed in Hatem’s inbox, where he knew straight away, he had nothing to lose by applying.
In Hatem’s application he made it clear how much winning the Scholarship would mean to him, his great passion for computers and his mission to use computing and technology to better lives. The Millennium Point Charitable Trust team were hugely impressed with Hatem’s application and selected him along with four other finalists.
All the finalises attended an assessment day at Millennium Point, where they each presented to a panel of five judges, Hatem impressed the panel the most and was selected as the lucky winner of last year’s Scholarship, which has already helped launch the careers of seven outstanding STEM students. Hatem’s degree in Computer Science at Birmingham City University (BCU) started in September 2022.
Applying is easy and simple
The competition is open to you if you are 18 by, and looking to start an undergraduate degree in September 2023 and within the West Midlands Combined Authority, who are looking to start a qualifying degree in September 2023.
Read the application form carefully and start to answer each question. Think about why you want to study your chosen degree and what you want to do in the future. Also discuss any personal attributes and skills that could help you be the next winner of the Scholarship.
It’s a two-stage application, with the final stage being an assessment day. If you make it to the final, you will be invited to participate in developmental workshops. These will focus on supporting our personal development and professionalism in both interview and presentation skills.
We’re here to help you every step of the way
We want everyone to have the best chance of success when applying for our Scholarship scheme, and sometimes bigging yourself up can be a little daunting. That’s why we have created a helpful guide to aid you through your application. Keep an eye out on our social media for any new blogs, videos or resources that can help further.
You can always contact our friendly Trust team for any other enquiries you may have.
Unlock your student’s future by getting your school involved
Get your school involved and spread the word about the Scholarship. Tell parents, young people, teachers, and colleagues. The bigger it gets, the more impact we can make together.
We have created a Teacher’s Portal with assets and information that can help you provide students information on how to apply.
Are you a business wanting to get involved? Visit our Business Portal here. We’re always looking out to collaborate with businesses and professionals on the MP Trust Scholarship.
Why do we do this?
At Millennium Point we believe that STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) is important for the future of the region. Now, more than ever young people need our support and encouragement for them to unlock their potential. The scholarship is just one of the ways we can provide support to help them achieve people’s goals.
Apply today to start your Scholarship journey
Applications are now open with the deadline on Friday 17th March 2023, apply now and see what you can achieve!
2024 update – 2024’s applications open Monday 8th January 2024.
Due to the impact of Covid and the increasing number of people working from home, hybrid events are on the rise to accommodate everyone’s needs. With many businesses finding leads through networking, it’s important to find a way to meet people online, therefore causing an increase in hybrid networking events.
What is a hybrid event?
Hybrid events combine both in person attendance and virtual presence to ensure as many people can attend as possible. Due to this it’s important to choose the right streaming service for you.
is a great way to host a hybrid event, as it can provide easy access for guests. Some platforms will allow you to stream directly through them and others, such as Vimeo and YouTube, will need you to use third parties.
Connecting the in person audience and virtual audience
Due to many people attending events to network, it’s important to bridge the gap between in person and virtual attendees, to help give valuable experiences.
Different platforms will allow you to host polls, breakout rooms, direct messaging and digital business card exchanges, allowing both virtual and in person attendees to interact with each other.
Ensuring your in person audience brings devices such as laptops, tablets and mobile phones, will allow them to interact with others through digital chats. Furthermore, including Q&A’s and opportunities for attendees to get to know each other will allow people to stay engaged throughout your event.
Benefits of a hybrid event
Below are a few benefits hybrid events have for your company:
- Increased reach and attendance
- Increased engagement between your company and audience
- Improved return on investment
- More flexibility
- Hybrid events show that you care about your audience’s needs
Tips for planning a hybrid event
When considering hosting a hybrid event it’s important to plan the event properly to ensure it runs smoothly and engages your audiences.
Here are a few tips for planning your next hybrid event.
Give attendees control
During Covid, everyone lost control over their own lives, making it important to people that they can make their own choices now.
Hybrid events allow people to choose whether they want to attend in person or virtually, allowing them to feel as though they have made decisions that suit them best.
Providing chat boxes and breakout rooms can also give attendees the opportunity to decide whether they want to engage further with the event by asking hosts questions and engaging with others.
Ensure your event location provides everything you need
It’s important to find an event location that meets your needs and allows your event to run smoothly.
Below are a few questions you should ask yourself when searching for the right location:
- Has the venue got high speed wifi to help you avoid buffering?
- Does the location have projectors and speakers or do you need to provide them yourself?
- Do they provide catering options?
- Does the event provide easy access for guests and loading equipment?
- Do they provide camera and recording equipment or do you need to provide this yourself?
Make your in person attendees feel safe
When hosting an event it’s important to make your attendees feel safe. You can do this by communicating clearly before and during the event about how the day will run and any rules they may need to follow, such as whether you have any Covid safety or fire safety requirements.
Providing information on whether attendees will be recorded or photographed is also important as you need to give people the opportunity to opt out.
Don’t forget to record your event!
Recording your event allows attendees to re-watch the event or let those who couldn’t attend, watch it in their spare time.
Recording the event also allows people to share it with others, helping you gain more business leads and interact with a wider audience.
Choosing Millennium Point to host your hybrid event
Here at Millennium Point, we pride ourselves on our forward thinking approach. We’re always looking for new and exciting ways to improve our client’s events.
Contact us today to see how we can help you host your hybrid event. You can even use our own streaming platform and cameras to host and record your event for guests!
Here at Millennium Point we offer grant funding to help support companies and charities improve engagement within STEM related subjects.
Below are a few examples of Schools Millennium Point has helped through grants and funding.
Longwill School for the Deaf – Sensory STEM
Longwill is based in Northfield, Birmingham and is a specialist school for deaf children aged between 2 and 11. The school is underpinned by a sign-bilingual philosophy that encourages the fullest possible development through early communication.
What challenge did Longwill face?
The school came to us wanting help to create ways for pupils to develop an interest and understanding in science through using speech and sign language. The small grant is being used to purchase 10 visualises and compound microscopes which are high impact learning tools. These can be used in STEM lessons to magnify flowers, leaves, skeletons or fossils onto screens to help children develop a scientific understanding.
What impact has this made?
This has given 50 children between 3 and 11 the opportunity to engage in scientific activities in ways they previously hadn’t been able to.
The school received a small grant as they presented an outside-of-the-box approach to inspiring children with disabilities to engage with STEM subjects.
To read more about the Longwill School for Deaf, click here.
Aston Villa Foundation – ‘STEM Stars’
The Aston Villa Foundation is a registered charity in charge of the community and social responsibility work of Aston Villa Football Club. Their mission is ‘working together to enrich lives’. They work with a variety of backgrounds in Birmingham and support Aston Villa’s wider family as well.
What did the foundation need help with?
STEM Stars introduced a new STEM programme in six schools within a 3 mile radius of Villa Park, where funding will be used to buy a Sphero robot package to help teach young people coding through using football.
The programme aims to encourage young people to better engage with STEM education and raise aspirational levels, as the areas around Villa Park are both educationally and income deprived.
What impact has this made?
The STEM programme has allowed young people to engage with computer science in ways they wouldn’t previously be able to access.
The programme gained a small grant as they identified key problems in the area while providing imaginative solutions to STEM related issues.
To read more about the Aston Villa foundation, click here.
Ahead Partnership – STEMfestWM
Ahead Partnership is a leading social enterprise aiming to connect children with employers to promote education and employability while raising awareness of STEM careers.
The project
The project involves a week-long festival with employers and 250 students chosen from secondary schools and FE sixth forms/colleges across the West Midlands. The festival aims to enthuse young people in STEM and build a stronger talent pipeline.
What impact has this made?
The project impacted 250 pupils, 16 schools and 2 further education colleges. Students have also developed confidence through participating in events and have developed an understanding of how their learning links to different careers.
The partnership gained a small grant due to its extensive portfolio of successes in engaging young people in education and equipping them with the skills and links needed for the industry.
To learn more about the Ahead Partnership, click here.
Trinity School – STEM Room
Trinity High School is a co-educational academy school for 13-18 year olds located in central Redditch.
The challenge
Students at the school are highly interested in STEM, however the school was previously unable to provide them the resources they needed. The solution to this was to transform an old art room into a new STEM room, fitted with computers and CAD/CAM machinery to provide learning within ICT, Maths and Science.
What impact has this made?
The project has enhanced teaching of the STEM curriculum and has allowed the school to expand their after school STEM activities. The room is also being used as a STEM learning hub for other schools, helping to expand STEM skills across the area.
The school gained a small grant due to them demonstrating how the project would impact both the school and the wider community.
To learn more about Trinity high school’s STEM project, click here.
King Solomon International Business School: Breaking the barriers to STEM
King Solomon International Business School is Birmingham’s first Christian free school with 1,200 students aged 4-19.
The school aims to close the diversity gap through a fully realised STEM programme of extracurricular activities, helping encourage students to consider a STEM career path.
How did we help to fund this programme?
Millennium Point has helped fund multiple extracurricular activities, including:
- Code club – an after school club helping children get involved in coding; teaching HTML, Java, CCS and more.
- Eco-friendly wildlife sensory garden – helps students explore wildlife in a practical way. The code club will also create QR codes that students can scan next to plants to learn more about them.
- Equipment – provided for maths and science experiments.
- Excursions – helped provide funding for a range of STEM related trips. Trips have included ThinkTank, Jaguar Land Rover Wolverhampton and the Birmingham Botanical gardens.
What impact did this have?
The projects aim to engage everyone in the school in STEM related activities, having a positive impact on 1,200 students between 4 and 19 years old.
The school gained a small grant as King Solomon School demonstrated a clear passion for STEM and provided a clear objective for increasing diversity in STEM.
To learn more about the King Solomon project click here.
To learn more about how Millennium Point’s grants can help you impact STEM education, get in touch with us today.
Applications for life changing scholarship open next month on Monday 9th January 2023. In partnership with Birmingham City University each year Millennium Point Trust fund an undergraduate degree at BCU.
There are over 20 courses to choose from included in the scholarship. The deadline is on Friday 31st March 2023, meaning plenty of time to complete the application.
Hatem impressed judges last year with his passion for Computer Science
Hatem was studying at Solihull College with ambitions to study Computer Science at university. In Hatem’s application he made it clear how much winning the Scholarship would mean to him, his great passion for computers and his mission to use computing and technology to better lives. The Millennium Point Trust team were hugely impressed with Hatem’s application and selected him along with four other finalists.
All the finalists attended an assessment day at Millennium Point, where they each presented to a panel of five judges, Hatem impressed the panel the most and was selected as the lucky winner of this year’s Scholarship, which has already helped launch the careers of seven outstanding STEM students. Hatem has since started his Computer Science degree at Birmingham City University that started in September 2022.
Applying is easy and simple
The competition is open to applicants aged 17 and over within the West Midlands Combined authority, who are looking to start a qualifying degree in September 2023.
Read the application form carefully and start to answer each question. Think about why you want to study your chosen degree and what you want to do in the future. Also discuss any personal attributes and skills that could help you be the next winner of the Scholarship.
It’s a two-stage application, with the final stage being an assessment day. If you make to the final, you will be invited to participate in developmental workshops that will focus on supporting our personal development and professionalism in both interview and presentation skills.
We’re here to help you every step of the way
We want everyone to have the best chance of success when applying for our scholarship scheme, and sometimes bigging yourself up can be a little daunting. That’s why we have created a helpful guide to aid you through your application. Keep an eye out on our social media for any new blogs, videos or resources that can help further.
You can always contact our friendly Trust team for any other enquiries you may have.
Unlock your student’s future by getting your school involved
Get your school involved and spread the word about the scholarship. Tell parents, students, teachers, and colleagues. The bigger it gets, the more impact we can make together.
We have created a teacher’s portal with assets and information that can help you provide students information on how to apply.
Are you a business wanting to get involved? Visit our business portal here. We’re always on the lookout to collaborate with businesses and professionals on the Millennium Point Trust scholarship.
Why do we do this?
At Millennium Point we believe that STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) is important for the future of the region. Now, more than ever young people need our support and encouragement for them to unlock their potential. The scholarship is just one of the ways we can provide support to help them achieve people’s goals.
Learn more about Millennium Point Trust
Our multi-award-winning charitable trust invests on average £4.8m each year towards furthering Stem education within the West Midlands.
Over the years we have provided funding to scholarships, grants and projects that benefit the region. Find out more about our Trust in our brand-new brochure here.
Keep up to date when scholarships go live
Applications open on 9th January 2023 and end 31st March 2023, bookmark our scholarship page and get ready to see what you can achieve!
After a hugely successful event last year, St Basils returned to Millennium Point on Friday 25th November to host their annual big sleepout. The event took place in our Cinema Square car park and was once again successful at raising funds to help end youth homelessness.
The St Basils Big Sleepout is the oldest, longest running event of its kind. It’s one of St Basils most popular events among their community, with volunteers challenged with sleeping out in the cold during winter to understand the difficulties that homeless people go through on a daily basis.
How St Basils are doing their bit to beat homelessness
St Basils work with young people ages 16-25 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, to enable them to find and keep a home, grow their confidence, develop their skills, increase opportunities, and prevent homelessness.
This year St Basils announced the annual event had amazingly raised £62,000 and funds are still coming in.
A community united
It was fantastic to see so many organisations braving the cold and taking part in the event, 400 individuals settled in for the night in cardboard boxes all to raise funds for the good cause. Throughout the night volunteers took part in the much loved Creative Cardboard Competition for the best dwelling, with a prize given to the lucky winner. The cardboard boxes were provided by Schumacher, who have been providing packaging for the sleepout for over 15 years.
Much needed warmth was delivered with free vegan curry and hot drinks provided by the Langar Aid project.
Fundraisers were also entertained during the night by The Band of the West Midlands Fire Services to keep spirits high on a very cold evening.
Couldn’t make it to the sleepout? You can still make a difference
It costs £5 a day to support a young person and keep them at a St Basils project. Supporters can make a one-off donation here. Help change a young person’s life for the better today.
One school in the West Midlands is using their Millennium Point Grant to give back to the community. Turves Green Boys School applied for a grant for their project called ‘helping the elderly’.
Their plan was ‘to assist in making the daily lives of the elderly better and easier’ while learning STEM in the process.
Aim of the project
There are a number of retirement homes in the school’s area. The project was for students to meet with residents to find out what they needed and what the students could make for them. This would include carrying out research and designing and making the items.
Turves Green Boys School started off on simple projects such as door stops and has since moved on to more complex items such as coffee tables and seating. But ultimately, they will make whatever the residents need.
The application had asked for £1,000 to buy materials for the project. The school already owns two laser cutting machines and will also involve CAD/CAM design to complete the project.
Year 7 & Year 8 students were chosen for the project with the aim that they will go on to pick Design and Technology in their options and continue their STEM education.
Outcome of the project
Students from the school visited Millennium Point recently. They produced and delivered a presentation to the Millennium Point Trust team, explaining the process and showcasing the finished products.
Students are now doing projects in STEM that will cover Maths, Technology & Engineering, while building the name and reputation of the school in the local area. The project has also benefited the residents of the community.
Apply for a Millennium Point Grant today and watch STEM happen
Originally set to close on Friday 2nd December 2022, the STEM Grants application is now officially extended to Friday 16th December 2022 to give everyone a chance to apply this year. Over the last five years, the Millennium Point Charitable Trust has awarded over £2 million to charities, not-for-profits, community groups and schools to further STEM education.
Millennium Point STEM Grants are available from £1,000 to £20,000 to individual applicants to support science, technology, engineering & maths (STEM) education in Birmingham and the wider region.
You can apply here.
Originally set to close on Friday 2nd December 2022, the STEM Grants application is now officially extended to Friday 16th December 2022 to give everyone a chance to apply this year. Over the last five years, the Millennium Point Charitable Trust has awarded over £2 million to charities, not-for-profits, community groups and schools to further STEM education.
Millennium Point STEM Grants are available from £1,000 to £20,000 to individual applicants to support science, technology, engineering & maths (STEM) education in Birmingham and the wider region.
You can apply here.
Building the future with STEM
Over the past five years, the Millennium Point Charitable Trust has awarded over £2 million to charities, not-for-profit community groups and schools to further STEM education. Millennium Point Charitable Trust has previously seen the rewarding outcome of past projects such as ‘Breaking the Barriers to STEM’ with a fantastic STEM garden. Ahead Partnership engaged students at their Digitech Festival with inspiring guest speeches and activities from STEM industries. Ark Tindall Primary transformed an outside space into a Science Area to enhance their STEM curriculum.
Discover more about past fantastic projects here.
Available to help you, every step of the way
We want everyone applying to have the best chances of success. That’s why our fantastic Trust Team have put together some useful information on our website. If you have any questions have a look at our frequently asked questions page, you can always contact our team with any other queries. You will also find out STEM Grant Application Guidance there too. The guidance intended to assist organisations in applying for funding from the Millennium Point Trust’s STEM grants programme.
Anyone applying can also look at our latest blog with tips on applying for the Millennium Point STEM Grants.
Discover more about Millennium Point Trust
Our multi-award-winning charitable trust invests more than £4.8m each year towards furthering STEM education within the West Midlands.
Over the years we have provided funding to Scholarships, Grants and projects that benefit the region. Find out more about our Trust in our brand new brochure here.
By booking with Millennium Point you’re helping support STEM growth
Everything Millennium Point Charitable Trust achieves is made possible by the commercial activity that takes place in our landmark building. It all feeds back into the Charitable Trust, enabling it to donate and invest in STEM-related organisations, projects, and initiatives.
When booking events with Millennium Point you are widening your CSR and supporting the local region. Find our how and more about our 11 unique event spaces here.
Find more interesting content from Millennium Point over at our news section, or follow us for daily updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn with @MillenniumPoint. Millennium Point is a landmark public building and multi-award-winning events venue in the Eastside of Birmingham City centre. Profits from our commercial activity are invested by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust into projects, events and initiatives which support the growth of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and education in the West Midlands.
STEM education has a much bigger impact on our everyday lives than you may realise. STEM isn’t just about teaching maths and science, it helps to develop a skill set that changes the way we think, act and feel.
Providing STEM education helps to shape the world we live in, through the creation and development of new technologies that help improve and simplify our everyday lives.
Championing innovation
It has often been pointed out that innovation and diversity have a strong correlation. Due to this, STEM education gives underrepresented groups the opportunity to access inspiring role models. According to STEMWomen, this makes underrepresented groups more likely to feel as though they belong to something.
Furthermore, The Royal Society published an article where it states that only 18.7% of academic staff in STEM are from ethnic minority groups, with only 1.7% being black. Improving STEM education to underrepresented groups will help increase diversity and encourage a more welcoming environment for these groups. This will also help to encourage future talent as they will see what people have achieved before them.
Providing opportunities in STEM for everyone will help to create a wider talent pool, helping to increase the chances of innovation.
STEM and its impact on the world
STEM students and professionals tend to be motivated about the impact their projects have on the world. STEM is also inclusive of people with disabilities and gives students and professionals the opportunity to be innovative and passionate about the work they produce.
However, there is still an aim to increase the opportunities STEM gives to those with disabilities. For example AccessSTEM wants to increase the number of people with disabilities completing post secondary STEM degrees and entering the STEM workforce. AccessComputing has similar goals, but is narrowed down to just the computing industry.
Why is STEM education important?
STEM education is extremely important as it helps to shape the way we think and act. Providing STEM education also increases the ambitions of young people. For example, a report by STEM learning found that before ambassadors visited a school, 80% of students wanted to be YouTuber’s, Vets, Footballers or Gamers. However, after ambassadors showed the students bigger, global projects they found that students wanted to explore more opportunities within STEM.
Furthermore, STEM are working on providing better education to help reduce the gender gap in STEM education. According to WISE, only 24% of the STEM workforce are female, meaning there is a large talent pool that is being overlooked. However, further investment in STEM education will help to close the gender gap.
For example, Girls Who Code is a non-profit organisation that’s aiming to reduce the gender gap within technology globally. The course teaches girls computer science, bravery and sisterhood. Research shows that if they carry on the way they are, they should be able to close the gender gap by 2030.
This shows that STEM education is important as it teaches students new skills, while developing how they think, feel and act, as well as working on important issues such as closing the gender gap within STEM industries.
What skills can children learn from STEM
STEM subjects can be easily adapted to the age group, size group, ability and interests of the group you’re working with. A great thing about STEM subjects is that they’re very practical and some activities can appear like games for children, making them more enjoyable.
Due to this, STEM education teaches skills such as:
- Critical thinking
- Independent learning
- Great communication and collaboration
- Digital literacy
- Problem-solving
- Creativity
- Self-reflection
Millennium Point’s impact on STEM Education
Millennium Point annually provides funding to not-for-profit organisations, schools and colleges across the West Midlands Combined Authority area.
Millennium Point also offers STEM grant, where applicants can apply for up to £20,000 for their STEM related project, depending on whether they meet eligibility criteria, as well as being able to demonstrate a measurable impact in their STEM education or career choice.
STEM grant applications are now open. Click here to apply.
Furthermore, over the past five years the Millennium Point Charitable Trust has awarded charities, not-for-profit organisations, schools and community groups over £2,100,706 to further STEM education.
Where does the money come from?
Profits from our commercial activity, goes straight into our charitable trust, allowing us to donate and invest in STEM related organisations, projects and initiatives.
To discover more about what Millennium Point has to offer, click here.
Find more interesting content from Millennium Point over at our news section, or follow us for daily updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn with @MillenniumPoint. Millennium Point is a landmark public building and multi-award-winning events venue in the Eastside of Birmingham City centre. Profits from our commercial activity are invested by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust into projects, events and initiatives which support the growth of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and education in the West Midlands.