South Thames College ESOL students were invited to take part in a Social Science Festival at SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies). Organised by the Careers team, this event was a fantastic opportunity for all our 16-18 ESOL students to experience travelling into Central London, being hosted by higher education students on a university campus and engaging with projects related to migration research studies. In addition, a complimentary lunch and fun activities provided by Springboard, the refugee/asylum seeker youth charity, were enjoyed by all.
“For many of our students, visiting a university in London was an eye-opening experience and they were inspired to see young people from similar backgrounds to them on degree-level courses. After this visit, the idea of actually studying at university is now a more conceivable concept for them.”
“My students absolutely loved the experience!! I believe the impact of having visited a university and taken part in diverse activities was invaluable. It’s one thing to visit a university and quite another to participate in discussions in the same space. It widened the perspective of the learners in terms of what is available to them. This visit expanded future paths these learners can consider for their future.” ESOL tutor who accompanied the trip.
ESOL students feedback was really positive, including comments such as: ‘I enjoyed the trip to the university’; ‘I think it was a useful experience and I enjoyed SOAS’; ‘I liked the building and the activities.’
