Seeing our pro bono work drive change

 Last month we attended the careers fair at Dr Challoner’s High School, a local grammar school.

It became clear throughout the evening that very few of the students and even parents knew much about Market Research as an industry so we did our best to showcase what an exciting industry it is to be part of. For me, it was particularly rewarding to educate students that what’s most important is what you are interested in: Are you curious? Do you like talking to people and asking lots of questions? Do you want to enact change?

This led me to think about the previous pro bono work that we’ve done with the school over the years. We started working with Challoner’s 8 years ago and have since done projects to define the school values (reminders of which are displayed proudly on the walls of the school hall), as well as enhancing their Sixth Form Proposition. Recently, we did research on how the school balances the girls’ drive for achieving their academic and personal best and maintaining wellbeing. Having left a similar high-achieving school 6 years ago, I know how tough it can sometimes feel as a student to balance these three things, and how important it is for a school to support you in that endeavor. Being part of this project with the school was extremely rewarding and I feel lucky to be part of a business that knows the value of pro bono.

Being at the careers fair was a wonderful reminder that whilst it’s important for the students to be encouraged to reach their academic potential, it’s equally important to reassure them that developing their personal interests and curiosities are just as valuable. It was lovely to be approached by the Head Teacher, who spoke to us about what they’ve changed in the school because of our projects, and how impactful the work we have done for them has been.

So, did we inspire the next generation of researchers? We certainly felt inspired and enjoyed interacting with the students.