OU students work so hard and the university is incredibly proud of them for studying while juggling full-time jobs, childcare and other responsibilities.
On top of that, many have been playing a supporting role in the fight against Coronavirus, helping local and wider communities.
From working on the frontline to creating resources to help with home schooling, here are just some of the ways OU students have been supporting others.
Frontline key workers
Across the UK, OU students have continued in their roles as key workers, including delivery drivers; warehouse staff; shop workers; carers; teachers; paramedics and nurses, with many working additional hours.
Examples include final year student Katie:
“I am a final year OU student on my last TMA! Currently working frontline staff for the NHS in the community also, juggling lots but pushing through.” (@katie_harrington)
Newly qualified community nurse Juliette:
“I’m a newly qualified Adult Nurse and I’m working frontline as a community nurse.” (@juliettehook2)
Warehouse worker Lucy:
“I work in a warehouse for a pharmaceutical company that makes paracetamol, nurofen and hand sanitisers. I feel honoured to be a part of the team that’s still working through all of this with such a huge staff shortage!” (@lucerose_)
Welsh ambulance service worker Lou:
“I work for the Welsh ambulance service and study full time with the OU. Everyone who is working at this time from NHS staff, delivery drivers, supermarket workers, postmen and women, childcare workers everyone is amazing and you all deserve the world for still carrying on.”
And teacher Siany:
“I’m a key worker teaching so I’ve been on a rota working to look after the key worker children. I am about to start online tutoring for some of my children (private tutoring children) and a closed group for my Rainbows, posting activities every week.”
NHS volunteers
Putting food packages together, transporting medication to the vulnerable, offering counselling and translation services – OU students have been helping the NHS in a whole variety of ways.
Amazing stuff like this:
“I’m a NHS responder and volunteer counsellor at a NHS hospital. Doing all this whilst working full time and studying at OU!” (@twoloveharts)
Making global connections is a vital part of the process:
“I am helping the NHS translating from Italian into English any relevant evidence base on Covid-19 that has not been published in English.” (@_the_philosopheress – OU Translation Studies graduate)
A brilliant example of the resourcefulness of our students in providing much needed equipment:
“I work for a dental lab and because dentists have stopped working we have adapted our 3D printer to make PPE full face masks, which we send out to hospitals, care homes and any other organisation.” (@duncanjessop)
Content creators
With lots of parents now having to manage home schooling (and often working from home too), some of our students have been hard at work creating content to try to help make those home school sessions a little easier.
Love this from Holly:
“My day now includes creating online content daily for families to access, to dropping off resources to families, putting together food packages to our most vulnerable families, and checking in weekly with our 100+ families with SEN young people.” (@holly.eh)
Physics student Sam has been busy creating space videos for 7 to 11-year-olds:
“I am a Physics student with the OU and an aspiring Medical Physicist. I have made some space-themed science videos aimed at 7 to 11-year-olds (KS2). These are designed to add variety to home schooling, provide some entertainment, plus teach youngsters about space.
I’m not a teacher but for friends, family and beyond, I thought it would be fun (and good for me keeping busy too) to make videos to generate an interest in science and to help people home school/entertain kids at home.” (@actionsamstudies)
And you can take a look at the brilliant videos from Sam here.
These are just some of the ways our students have been making a difference, there are many others – to everyone supporting others either locally or at a wider level – THANK YOU!
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