The £1.3m of funding for the centre has been provided by philanthropic supporters.
Four full-time members of staff are being recruited to deliver after-school academic support sessions to primary and secondary school children, aspiration-building workshops in partnership with local schools and a mentoring programme with current university students and professionals. The centre will be IntoUniversity’s first centre in Hull.
Students will be able to access the centre for academic support after school Monday to Thursday during term time, and workshops with partner schools will run during the daytime throughout the week, with all daytime and evening sessions being run in compliance with current Covid-19 guidelines.
In 2020-21, IntoUniversity supported more than 40,000 students across 32 centres in 18 towns and cities across England and Scotland. 66% of students who attend IntoUniversity centres go on to progress to university, compared with 26.6% of students from similar backgrounds nationally.
Once established, the centre will benefit over 1,000 students a year.
IntoUniversity centres are based in the heart of local communities and support young people from 7 to 18, working closely with schools and families to sow the seeds of aspiration at a young age.
Professor Susan Lea, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Hull, said: “The University of Hull has inclusivity at its heart and this is reflected in the diversity of our student body and our range of partnership work to promote access and success in our local communities.
“Living by our University motto Lampada Ferens, which translates as carrying the light of learning, we’ve been inspiring futures, broadening horizons and pushing boundaries for over 90 years.