Uber enables York students volunteering in local schools to reach their full potential

News

Posted on Tuesday 10 February 2026

A donation from transport service Uber has enabled students to volunteer with school pupils in disadvantaged areas across the city.

A student volunteer is helping a child during a classroom activity

York Students in Schools (YSIS) is an award-winning scheme in which students volunteer at local schools and nurseries to support both teachers and pupils. The scheme acts as the important first step for many students who are exploring a career in education, and allows them to develop personal confidence while gaining hands-on experience in the classroom.

For the schools themselves, YSIS students can provide much-needed extra support for children, particularly in more disadvantaged areas around York. Students have the opportunity to take on a range of roles in the classroom, from providing general classroom support to acting as a reading buddy, or helping improve speech and language skills for early years pupils.

Almost half of students taking part in the programme volunteer at schools in the top 10% of most deprived areas in England, and over 40% at schools with free school meal rates above the national average.

Last semester, a gift in kind from the transport service Uber has helped YSIS to extend its reach for the latest cohort of placement students. By providing credit to help them get to and from school, the credit has enabled more students to access their placements. With placements spread out across York and the surrounding area, the Uber credit has helped to extend the scheme reliably, beyond easy to access public transport routes.

The gift has made a huge difference for many. One of these students is Nikitah, an English third year who joined York Students in Schools with the hopes of getting experience to help pursue her dream career in teaching:

“I knew from the get-go that I wanted to go into teaching. The placement has been really great to prepare me for my next steps. My PGCE feels a lot less nerve-wracking now.”

Matthew Freckelton, Head of Cities at Uber, shared the reason behind Uber’s decision to make the gift:

"By providing reliable and accessible transportation, we hope to remove a significant hurdle for students, enabling them to dedicate more time and energy to making a positive impact on young lives in York."

For more information on how businesses can work together with the University for public good, head to our Corporate and Foundation Partnerships webpage or reach out to Lydia van den Dries at lydia.vdd@york.ac.uk

You can also read about the history of York Students in Schools in this special feature.