Insight Project will be publishing a series of blogs over the coming weeks. The first week's blogs focus on the motivations and experiences of its team.
This blog is written by Ashley Mann, Insight Project Team Member
Abstract: - Any one thing you say to a student may be that little push they needed to know they can achieve anything they put their mind to – how special is that?! Here is how the Pro Bono Society helped me give back to the community.
Blog Post
I joined the Pro Bono Society during my first year at Leicester and to say it has been a rewarding experience would most definitely be an understatement. I am a member of the Insight Project and our primary focus is to help students from underprivileged areas discover their passion for the field of Law and pursue a most attainable career in it if they choose to. We do this by creating and presenting fun and engaging lessons in classrooms.
During my first year my team members and I were given an opportunity to deliver a lesson on Criminal Law to Year 10 students who were on campus for a Taster Day. It began with a presentation on important material pertaining to the topic, and then carried on to a mock trial. Although I hadn’t taken a module on this specific topic previously, with the help of my team leader and by conducting my own research, we had students jumping out of their chairs with excitement by the end of it. The questions we are asked are always one of my favorite parts because we are able to explain to these young students why we chose a career in Law and offer our insight and reasons in hopes of enlightening them too. I have also had the chance to put together a lesson plan on the process of a criminal trial, including what actually goes on inside the doors of a Crown Court.
As a member of this project, I have learnt many transferable skills that I can put to use down the line in my chosen career. A key one is teamwork and one that most employers look for in CVs to ensure you will fit in well with their working environments. Our project is split up into several teams, with a leader and members designated to each, whom we work alongside with for the academic year. We figure out each other’s learning styles early on in order to complete the tasks we are given as an effective team. Another skill I have developed is researching and analysing information, which was done by delivering content through a social media post for Black History Month last year – also really important if I want to become a solicitor one day! One final skill I’d like to touch base upon is adaptability. It is something everyone must face multiple times in their lives, especially after graduation or when new opportunities arise. I learned to be adaptable under this project when visiting schools for the first time, teaching students you have never met before, and through the process of moving most of our project virtually due to the ongoing pandemic.
Whilst juggling an undergraduate Law degree, my involvement in this project has been very worthwhile, especially during those times of de-stress because any one thing you say to a student may be that little push they needed to know they can achieve anything they put their mind to – how special is that?! I encourage anyone in a Law or Non-Law programme to get involved in the Pro Bono Society and help give back to the community.