Olivia Garvey, Development Officer
My role
In partnership with community organisations and colleges, I develop and deliver activities for adults from under-represented groups to explore their education options.
Through taster sessions and outreach visits, we provide information and opportunities for adults to try university and begin to see it as a realistic option.
I lead the medium-term work of the Communities and Partnerships (C&P) team, coordinating a programme of visits and study support sessions, subject tasters and an annual summer school for adults studying at Level 2 and 3 in college/community education. We work in partnership with a wide range of statutory and voluntary sector organisations and continually seek ways to add value to our partners’ multidisciplinary work and support educational progression for excluded groups.
I have been involved with research on refugee education and opportunities and the intergenerational benefits of adult learning, and have co-authored papers on creative pedagogies with marginalised groups and sustaining adult outreach in times of austerity.
Qualifications and memberships
- MA Development Studies BA English Literature and Theatre Studies
- Member of the Standing Conference on University Teaching and Research in the Education of Adults (SCUTREA)
- Member of the Universities Association for Lifelong Learning (UALL)
Research interests
Class and structural inequality, transformative learning, community development, creativity for learning, anti-oppressive pedagogy, theatre in the classroom, equality and diversity, widening participation to higher education, mature students.
Student education
I contribute to teaching on the LLC’s pre-entry ‘JumpStart’ taster course, Preparation for Higher Education part-time foundation year and Year 1 of the Professional Studies BA and Learning and Teaching and Learning and Teaching (Special Educational Needs and Disability) Foundation Degrees.
My specialist areas are:
- Performance techniques for confident communication and public speaking
- Belonging and group building