UCL Psychology with Education Society (PES)

UCL’s Psychology and Education Society (PES) is thrilled to announce a unique volunteering opportunity within our Empowered Minds Project.

We are seeking enthusiastic UCL students to join us as volunteers for this student-led initiative supported by UCL’s Student Union Volunteering Service. The project aims to deliver 4-5 mental health awareness workshops for primary school children. 

The primary goal of the Empowered Minds Project is to cultivate an understanding of mental health among children and empower them with the necessary tools to articulate their emotions and thoughts. By fostering open discussions, we aim to promote well-being and contribute to the development of resilient and emotionally intelligent young minds. 

 As a volunteer, you will play a vital role in delivering engaging workshops that address various aspects of mental health, providing children with valuable insights and strategies to navigate their emotional well-being. This is an excellent opportunity to make a positive impact on the community while gaining valuable experience in the field of psychology and education. 

Role Description 

    Job title: Mental Health Awareness Workshop Facilitator   

    Reporting to: Workshop coordinator and project leads  

    Location: London primary school Zone 4

    Time commitment 

•        January: 1-2 hours a week  
•        February – April: 3-4 hours a week depending on project stage 

    Compensation: This is a voluntary opportunity, and while the role is unpaid, all travel expenses will be reimbursed. 

Key duties:  

• Conduct mental health workshops tailored for a class of Year 5 and 6 primary school children (aged 10-11 years old).
• Guide and engage children through various activities and discussions aimed at promoting mental well-being.
• Thoroughly prepare for each workshop by reviewing session resources and ensuring all necessary supplies and handouts are ready in advance.
• Evaluate each session by completing feedback forms at the conclusion of the workshop.
• Fulfill all required training for the role.
• Participate in regular team meetings to collaborate and share insights.
• Fulfil any other duties as reasonably required from time to time.

Person specification 

Essential: 

• Strong communication skills.
• Effective time management and organizational abilities.
• Punctuality and the ability to attend all sessions on time.
• Capacity to remain calm under pressure and handle challenging situations without becoming overwhelmed.
• Team-oriented approach with effective collaboration skills.
• Active listening skills and the ability to demonstrate empathy.
• Comprehensive understanding of general mental health issues.
• Confidence working with children.

Desirable: 

• Previous experience working with young people or children in a paid or voluntary role.
• Prior experience in public speaking.

What we offer 

• Opportunity to contribute to a meaningful project focused on mental health awareness for primary school children. 
• Hands-on experience in conducting mental health workshops and engaging with young minds. 
• Training in safeguarding and working with children on mental health. 
• Opportunity to make a positive impact in the community by fostering a better understanding of mental health among children. 
• Experience working with children in an educational setting.  
• A participation certificate from the Student Union.  
• A LinkedIn recommendation from the society  

How to apply  

This opportunity is exclusive to PES members. If you are not already a member please ensure you purchase a membership on our student union page before you apply.

To apply please fill out the application form below and attach your most recent CV.  Applications will close on December 19th at 1 PM.

Applicants will be contacted on December 19th with the outcome and interviews will take place on the 21st and 22nd of December.   

For any questions please contact us on su.psychologyandeducation-society@ucl.ac.uk 

Enkhzaya Ganzorig, Treasurer

Working as a treasurer in PES has been one of my most enriching experiences this academic year. The role offered me a fantastic opportunity to hone my essential skills, including leadership, communication, and community building, through close liaison and collaboration with various stakeholders. As PES is a departmental society, working as a treasurer will expose one to the enormous potential to grow the community through the support from both the SU and the PHD department.

The most rewarding aspect of my experience as a treasurer in PES was my committee members, who were appreciably supportive and forward-thinking, enabling me to learn and get inspired by them. A sense of belonging fostered by teamwork and engagement with the PES community has also been integral to my own well-being as a university student by offering me a friendly space for self-expression and a fantastic chance to connect to the students from both inside and outside my degree.

Lastly and most importantly, I want to underscore the large degree of creativity and independent thinking I was granted in leading society. Having such freedom to shape and influence your community will induce the greatest sense of accomplishment and satisfaction one can ever imagine.

With the above statement, I am confident that our next treasurer will derive as much joy and fulfilment as I did from the role, if not more.”

Işıl Bastug, Welfare Officer

Being a welfare officer in PES was one of the defining experiences of my second year! I owe that to the amazing and talented people I worked with (Shout our president and treasurer! I have learned a lot from you guys!), to the connections that I built with my lecturers and to the skills that I gained over the year.

Starting from the trainings I received as part of my role in the beginning, it has been a learning journey in every aspects. Although I was a welfare officer, just like my other committee members, I was involved in helping organizing events, writing newsletters and preparing social media posts in addition to looking after the wellbeing of our members.

I gained many soft skills such as organizing, planning and working in a team. I also learned a lot of technical things such as using Canva more effectively or writing newsletters using Mail Chimp. Looking back, it was an amazing experience and I am glad that I was a part of the committee. Now, it is your turn! Nominate yourself not to miss this opportunity!

Here you can find the studies being conducted by Year 3 students from the BSc Psychology with Education degree. We encourage everyone to participate in the studies they are eligible for and help our Year 3’s to recruit participants. By participating in these studies, you will also be collecting credits needed to conduct your own studies through the Psychology and Human Development  Research Participant Pool. Click on the links and you will be directed to the RPP 🙂

The long-term impact of parental divorce on socioemotional development

Researcher: Grace Hill

Study description: The aim of this 10-minute questionnaire is to explore the long-term impacts of divorce on socioemotional development. As researchers, we have a keen interest in risk factors and developmental processes underlying mental ill-health in children, adolescents and young adults. You can complete if your parents have or have not divorced, as long as you are over 18.

Active Bystander Training Evaluation

Researcher: Bella Rubens

Study description: When people witness sexual harassment they may behave in a number of ways. This 7-minute questionnaire asks how you think you would respond in a number of hypothetical situations relating to sexual violence. The findings will help make UCL safe.

Extraversion and Psychological Distress During COVID-19

Researcher: Annie Fung

Study description: This 5-min survey aims to explore whether more extroverted individuals have higher levels of psychological distress during COVID-19. The findings will provide valuable insights into psychological interventions during the pandemic.

The effects of recalling acts of kindness on subjective happiness

Researcher: Mayee Hsu

Study description: This 10-minute questionnaire aims to find out the effects of recalling kind acts toward close others (vs. distant others) on subjective happiness. The results might enhance the well-being of the public.

Factors associated with loneliness

Researcher: Kaitlin Thomson

Study description: This 10-minute questionnaire aims to examine how various factors may be associated with feelings of loneliness. The factors we are investigating are: social media use, well-being, mental health, self-esteem, pet ownership, and resilience.

Akshar School in India has made it their goal to reduce the burning of plastic waste, which is devastating the village in Pamohi. This practice was causing a toxic atmosphere and was particularly hazardous for the environment and children’s health.

After voluntary instruction for parents to send in their plastic waste failed, the school founders, Mazin Mukhtar his wife Parmita Sarma, decided to entice parents with a fee override in exchange for their plastic waste. The school is very much focused on ecological practices and passing those on to its pupils.

The school has further come up with a tutoring system to combat child labour, where students are rewarded for tutoring younger students with toy money that they can however use to buy snacks, clothes, toys and shoes at local shops. This is a two birds with one stone situation as this reduces child labour and further promotes learning.

You can find out more about this story from today’s relevant article in the Guardian.

Year 2 BSc Psychology with Education student Caroline is showcasing some positive new stories! Here is the first of many!

According to a report published by Greater London Authority, research suggests that there has been a 94% drop since 2016 in the number of people residing in areas with illegal levels of nitrogen oxide. The London Air Quality Network indicates from data collected that levels of nitrogen dioxide in the air are at an all-time low since the past five years. In fact, scientists from across the world have noted large reductions in the level of pollution since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Source: Positive.News

Year 2 BSc Psychology with Education student Caroline is showcasing some positive new stories! Here is the first of many!

Prince William and Sir David Attenborough have recently launched the Earthshot Prize, a series of five £1m awards given each year to individuals, groups and communities who find solutions to the world’s most urgent environmental problems. The awards will be given out over a span of 10 years, adding up to a grand total of £50m, and making it the largest prize for environmental solutions ever. Anyone is encouraged to take part, so maybe you could have a shot at not only winning this tremendous prize, but most importantly, contributing to save the planet!

Source: Positive.News

This week our tips look at taking care of yourself whilst managing your time as you study online.

Callum coins the phrase:  You do not have to be Sick to look after yourself

highlighting the key importance of self-care the tips cover a wide range of methods you can easily implement to improve or sustain your wellbeing

 Click Here to find our latest tips in caring for your mental health

Hello and welcome to UCL! And to my year 2 and 3 and PHD students Welcome back

My name is Callum, I’m a year two student here at UCL! 

I know there start of term can be overwhelming for anyone, so I hope that you are settling into the swing of things well.  and for those of us struggling to find your feet, I truly sympathise with you and I am here to give you my tops tips for managing your mental health. 

Let me first start by telling you my approach to mental health…

“If you don’t make time for your well-being, you will be forced to make time for your illness.”

So head on over and Find our latest tips in caring for your mental health click Here