Rocking Ur Teens – events for your teenage students
Founded in 2015, Rocking Ur Teens is a social enterprise that equips young people with the skills that leaders of the future need. It does this through its annual events. To date, Rocking Ur Teens has welcomed over 1,500 students and teachers at its conferences. Over the next five years, Rocking Ur Teens aims to expand its impact by growing its mentoring programme. Their mission as an event is to allow students to “develop entrepreneurial spirit, agility and flexibility, character, self esteem and good mental health.” About Rocking Ur Teens Rocking Ur Teens is a social enterprise with a vision of crafting inspiring conferences that: – Expose teens to corporate environments, apprentices, graduates and interns, giving them a practical insight into the world of work – Create relationships between young people and corporate organisations to develop pipelines of diverse talent – Are accessible, providing socially mobile speakers who share stories and act as role models. Seeing is believing! – Break down barriers between those from culturally diverse backgrounds and continue to bring together a national and international audience. Dispel myths like ‘science is not for girls’ and engage audiences with speakers such Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE – Stemettes – Introduce teens to social action at an early age to illustrate how they can make a difference in their local and global community – Develop self-esteem and mental health awareness through speakers that have experienced it, such as Jonny Benjamin MBE – Mental Health Campaigner Rocking Ur Teens was founded by Jenny Garrett, award winning author, speaker and coach, Sandy Parris, event planner and Geoffrey Williams, Head of Diversity & Inclusion EMEA at Thomson Reuters. Holding around four events and conferences a year, Rocking Ur teens focuses on both boys and girls between the 13-14 years olds in Year 8 & 9 of School to help them gain the confidence that they need in order to excel in their final years of education. Rocking Ur Teens was founded by Jenny Garrett, award winning author, speaker and coach, Sandy Parris, event planner and Geoffrey Williams, Head of Diversity & Inclusion EMEA at Thomson Reuters. For more information about Rocking Ur Teens please visit their website, Facebook page or Twitter page Rocking ur teens reminds boys about “being your true self” October, 2019 With the #MeToo movement and men in senior positions accused of deception, it’s arguably never been a more important time to ask: What does it mean to be a man? How do we tackle toxic masculinity? What is men’s responsibility in the world? How can we celebrate the uniqueness of men? To celebrate International Men’s Day, Rocking Ur Teens will be bringing together 180 teenage boys and their teachers for an empowerment event to explore these questions and much more. Taking place on 12th November at Thomson Reuters head offices in Canary Wharf, the one-day interactive event will showcase positive male role models to inspire participants through their experiences and raise their aspirations, showing them that anything is possible when they have the courage and confidence to find their own identity and work hard. The event will be hosted by Bear Grylls The Island Star and Radio Presenter, Dean Quinton. Participants will also hear from keynote speakers including Andrew Hulbert, Successful Entrepreneur and CEO of Pareto; Cameron Parker, Motivational Schools Speaker and Andrew Odong, Content Strategist and Founder of Creative Media Agency Pesa Productions. They will share their career stories and learned wisdom. Andrew Hulbert said: “I remember my teens. I was unproductive, lacked direction and wasn’t focussed in the right areas. I have so much experience now that I’d like to have given to my younger self. That’s why I’m involved in Rocking Ur Teens, as it gives me the chance to shape the future of some of the countries brightest teenagers and pass on that learnt wisdom.” The teens will also take part in a spoken word workshop with Ragz-CV and a session on making good choices. They’ll benefit from speed mentoring with a diverse group of men who will share the advice that they would give their 13-year-old selves – with the benefit of hindsight. Talking about our last boys conference, one teacher said: “Students were blown away by the experience they thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing and the opportunity to network and experience new ideas.” Sponsored by Thomson Reuters, the conference is highly subsidised and tickets cost just £15 per student or teacher. To find out more about the conference and how to sponsor the event see rockingurteens.com. Tickets for this event are sold out, to register for future events see rockingurteens.com. Girls inspired to be tomorrow’s STEM leaders at Rocking Ur Teens event November 2018 International Airlines Group (IAG) and Rocking Ur Teens are teaming up to hold a one-day energetic and interactive conference for teenage girls aged 13 and 14. According to WISE, women make up just 23% of those in core STEM occupations in the UK and 24% of those working in core STEM industries. To grow these figures, IAG and Rocking Ur Teens will showcase STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) careers where traditionally girls are underrepresented and get them excited about the prospect of a job in one of these areas, that they may not have previously considered. At a time when teenagers are starting to think about possible careers, the event will bring to life the realities of various roles in both corporate organisations and non-typical industries for participants, so that they can start to map out their own journeys. Bringing together teens from different backgrounds, the event’s focus is on raising aspirations, building self-esteem and supporting teen girls in a safe and fun environment to learn, share and grow whilst providing effective tools to help them to successfully navigate their teenage years. Taking place on 4 December at IAG’s offices in Harmondsworth, West London, the day will be hosted by Capital Xtra radio presenter, Remel London. Attendees will hear from scientists, pilots, engineers and entrepreneurs including Emily Grossman, expert in molecular
Rocking Ur Teens: Year 9 pupil Caitlin blogs about conference
Caitlin McShane from class 9D at Southend High School for Girls took part in an empowering conference organised by Rocking Ur Teens, aimed at boosting confidence amongst young people. Here’s how Caitlin found the experience… On Tuesday 12 March, following International Women’s Day celebrations, twelve Year 9 pupils attended the Rocking Ur Teens girls’ conference, which took place at the NatWest offices, Bishopsgate. Rocking Ur Teens is a social enterprise whose goal is to give young people the skills, confidence and ideas needed for their futures. Stepping through the revolving doors perfectly welcomed us to the corporate world that the rest of the day would begin to ease us into. It seemed almost surreal at first to be given lanyards – something only workers are frequently seen with. The vibrant presenter Remel London (Capital Extra, Sky One and a live events host) somehow managed to make approximately 200 Year 9 girls, who had travelled from all over the south of England, feel energetic. The speakers who followed came from a vast variety of backgrounds and jobs; each of them sharing their unique experiences from the working world. Sherah Beckley, a sustainability and corporate responsibility specialist, spoke about how she went from a sixth form student to working with members of the UN. Her message was about re-inventing yourself – telling us that life is not a single pathway and that the only blockade to success is our self. Rocking Ur Teens leads to Rocking Ur Life! Next came Jillian ‘JJ’ Simmons from Houston, USA, a radio and TV host, speaker and author. She taught us about self-empowerment, the power of words and the social empowerment among our friends. After ‘JJ’ was Nick Howe, a businessman working for NatWest, who told us about entrepreneurship and his speciality in supporting small to medium enterprises. We learnt how to push ourselves forwards towards what we want, and about the appeal of working for yourself and the best ways to do so. A corporate panel formed of employees from some of NatWest’s numerous partners (e.g. Hermes, Sage, Coca Cola) followed. This was one of the most informative talks as we were able to discuss almost on a one-to-one basis with a speaker. We spoke to a lady who represented women and ethnic diversity in new businesses and we learnt how to prepare for our futures as well as receiving wisdom about job interviews – something that we have never really discussed before. After lunch Jillian Kowalchuk talked to us about Artificial Intelligence and how it would affect the future. She had great experience in the field, having created an award-winning app, Safe and the City, and it was impressive to hear her story as CEO of the company that developed it. The Armed Forces then showcased their diversity. This section was presented by three women from the Navy, Air Force, and Army. They showed us how leadership isn’t just one person in control but really just organised methods of teamwork. The day came to a close with a vocal performance by Sherika Sherard, a busker turned music star. Her story was particularly inspiring as it showcased how your world can be turned around provided you remain passionate at what you’re doing. All in all, it was an insightful and empowering day. For more information on Rocking Ur Teens and the work it does with young people, see rockingurteens.com
Dr Emily Grossman: ‘Anyone can be a scientist!’
Dr Emily Grossman is an expert in molecular biology and the face of many a scientific TV and radio slot (including The Alan Titchmarsh Show and Duck Quacks Don’t Echo). Here, Emily speaks to QA Education editor Victoria Galligan about why she’s involved with Rocking Ur Teens, a social enterprise that runs inspiring conferences that help encourage girls and boys to become confident in their school life and beyond… To say Dr Emily Grossman is an inspiring person is, quite frankly, an understatement. In 2017 Emily was made the second Honorary STEM Ambassador by STEM Learning – the first was astronaut Tim Peake. When I ask her about her childhood influences, she immediately tells me about her dad – a doctor and research scientist. Emily – who discovered a new molecule while working in cancer research – says: “We used to go on some long car journeys and dad would tell me really fun stories about the world, which were inspiring and relevant to my life. They were really scientific facts and theories, like telling me our ancestors were monkeys. So obviously I thought I may have monkey cousins and aunts and uncles somewhere! “Stories about science fascinated me and I loved finding out about the world around us. “Because these stories were framed for me by my dad, and made relevant to my life, I found them so interesting and that’s how we need to engage youngsters today.” Emily attended an all-girls school and her teachers also had a positive influence on her. The female environment eliminated sexism in the classroom and girls were encouraged to communicate, ask questions and find answers – although Emily admits not all of her peers were enamoured by the STEM subjects. “There was no stereotyping in the classroom and maths was taught from the root upwards, which really helped my understanding. But it wasn’t always easy for me and on occasion I was bullied, being labelled the “teacher’s pet”. Girls still face this stigma in school when they speak up – luckily I had some great friends and teachers who were really supportive and the female environment allowed our ideas to thrive.” Talkative, passionate and friendly during our interview, it’s hard to believe that she has ever suffered a crisis in confidence. However when Emily started university, where she studied physics, natural sciences and later cancer research, that’s exactly what happened. She noted a huge shift in attitudes working alongside her male peers. Emily says: “Many women feel out of place in a scientific learning environment – traditionally it’s seen as a cold, calculating and competitive world. “It can be challenging in this environment, and I found it very hard. I was used to a more supportive learning experience and I became scared of asking questions. I lost my confidence and see this today in many girls – and boys – who I meet when I visit schools now. They are nervous to try things and speak up, and we as educators need to let them know that they shouldn’t be put off by how confident other people seem to be. “I dropped physics after a year and remember before I ended that part of my course, many of the boys were bragging after an exam about how easy it had been. I had found it difficult but gave it my all – and I came out with better results than those boys!” It is these traditionally competitive, often sexist attitudes in the STEM subjects that Emily is working to change, through her work giving talks in schools and as a speaker at events like Rocking Ur Teens. Emily was asked by a friend who she met through a women’s group, Hannilee Fish, to attend the all-female event as Hannilee was speaking there too. Emily says: “Hannilee is an incredible role model and very inspiring. I was grateful for the opportunity to speak at Rocking Ur Teens and was happy to help dispel some myths about what it is to be a scientist, and help and inspire young women. “It was great to communicate with pupils from so many different areas and from such different backgrounds. For schools that don’t get a lot of funding, Rocking Ur Teens is a great opportunity for youngsters to hear from so many speakers and it really works. Seeing women like them, who perhaps were not very confident as teens and are just normal, everyday people, but who have become successful after working hard and being tenacious, really helps.” Having had quite a few career changes – Emily spent around 10 years acting and worked on the stage and screen in productions from Macbeth to Snow White – she is keen to impress upon youngsters the fluidity of STEM subjects and the range of options available. Emily adds, “Not all girls feel confident in STEM subjects and some feel they’re not clever enough, or that they’re too sensitive or creative. Girls who like science are often called ‘geeks’ or ‘weird’ or ‘boring’, but they shouldn’t be put off. Sensitivity and creativity are very beneficial to STEM. We need every sort of person to study STEM – gender, colour, sex, race etc doesn’t matter. If you have a passion for STEM then get involved!” Regarding women working in STEM, Emily would like to see policymakers continue to make roles accessible for women who have to consider their family needs, and to encourage women to bring their “whole self” to work. She believes that if STEM employers are compassionate, supportive and inclusive, then more women will want to start working and stay working in the field – even after starting a family. So what advice does Emily have for teachers who want to better engage girls in STEM? “Keep encouraging them to see the diverse range of careers and impress upon them the different types of people that STEM needs. They may be outgoing, shy, sensitive, analytical, team players or better working in private. Whatever sort of person