Mulberry Schools Trust Launches STEM Academy with Mercedes F1 Team
The Mercedes F1 Team is pleased to announce an innovative new partnership with the Mulberry Schools Trust and the launch of the Mulberry STEM Academy.
The inspirational programme will offer an extra-curricular programme in science, technology, engineering and maths education through vocational training, specialised study and masterclasses for students aged 7-18 within the Mulberry family of schools and beyond.
The launch of the new Mulberry STEM Academy was marked by Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff joining students from Mulberry Academy Shoreditch, Mulberry School for Girls and Mulberry UTC in East London for a virtual event, broadcast from Mercedes F1 HQ in Brackley.
The partnership will provide the foundations on which a lasting commitment can be built, aiming to work together to change the picture, transform lives and develop a pipeline of talent from the Trust’s East London catchment area.
Schools within the Trust achieve well and currently have progress well above the national average in many areas, but students don’t routinely enter degree courses and apprenticeships in STEM subjects.
A lot of hard work over many years has gone into placing students – the majority of whom are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic and disadvantaged backgrounds - at the forefront of STEM industries, but this hasn’t moved fast enough. The Mulberry STEM Academy takes explicit, positive action to address this.
The Mulberry STEM Academy will give students access to inspirational role models, imaginative teaching and rich extra-curricular experiences over a five-year period, running on Saturdays during term time and the school holidays.
The programme will offer a comprehensive and integrated curriculum, focusing on the long-term development, strength and needs of each student.
Graduates will leave with a passport into engineering, design and science-based industries and be highly desirable future employees for the Mercedes team and other related sectors.
Toto Wolff, CEO of the Mercedes F1 Team, said:
“We are very proud today to announce our new partnership with the Mulberry Schools Trust and to continue our journey towards making a positive contribution to the future engineers and scientists of the next generation.
“This is a deeply important project for us and the result of a great deal of thought into how best we might make a lasting contribution to promoting diversity and inclusion within our industry. I know myself and all our team are passionate about the success of this programme and we look forward to welcoming the first attendees of the Mulberry STEM Academy and exploring how we can best support their learning journey.
“Providing practical workplace experience and access to opportunities will be key to breaking down the barriers these students face when aspiring to their future careers and we are proud to be part of a project which will set them on a path to strengthening the STEM capabilities of our industry in years to come.
“The Mulberry Schools Trust is a hugely impressive organisation that shares our core values and we are honoured to be working with them. If the passion, enthusiasm, respect and excellence that I witnessed today during our virtual event with students from the Mulberry Schools today is anything to go by, this is going to be a very exciting, rewarding and successful venture.”
Lewis Hamilton continued:
“I was honoured to join the virtual event today to launch the new STEM Academy and to see the enthusiasm, intelligence and commitment of the Mulberry students for myself. It’s so important that, as a sport, we do all that we can to ensure we are as inclusive as possible. Increasing young people’s access to STEM and, ultimately, paving the way to careers in our industry is a brilliant way to do this.
“Creating a sport that is more representative of society is something very personal and important to me, and this partnership shows a real commitment from Mercedes to build a legacy that goes beyond motorsport.
"The STEM Academy is a fantastic opportunity to make a difference and I’m proud to work alongside my team, in partnership with the Mulberry Schools Trust, to open doors for these students which might otherwise have been closed, and to give them the opportunity to excel.
“Providing young people from diverse and often disadvantaged backgrounds with the confidence and resources to implement change in their own lives is one of the strongest tools that we have to build a fairer and more equal future. I’m looking forward to seeing how the students progress and, judging by the questions I received today, I have every faith we will see some of them fulfilling their dreams of working in motorsport in the future!”
Jane Farrell, Chair of the Mulberry Schools Trust said:
“We are delighted that Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd is partnering with us on this exciting new venture.
“This partnership will provide access to world class innovation and performance that match the ambitions of our students and the communities that they live in.
“It’s our job to ensure that we create opportunities that encourage the development of the skills and confidence that will lead to fantastic employment opportunities in specialised industries that too often miss out on the talents of our truly diverse and brilliant students. I would like to thank Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix for seeing their potential and creating a true partnership of learning and opportunity.”