NEON Widening Access Initiative (Outreach) Award – Commendation
Aiming to give Refugees and Asylum Seekers an opportunity and space to find out more about Higher Education in the UK, three workshops were run over a six week period. The content was kept relatively fluid in order to target the particular concerns or aspirations conveyed by the attending students. A whole family approach was adopted – families were invited – to encourage a learning together mind‑set. To enhance student experience throughout the programme, current university students were used as language interpreters. 92% agreed that they felt more confident to make decisions about their future and that a Student Ambassador ‘inspired’ them to go to university.
The programme is an excellent example of collaborative working between organisations leading to enhanced understanding of best practice working and of the young people involved. First run in April 2017 at the University of Surrey, the programme worked in collaboration with two teams from Surrey County Council: The Race Equality and Minority Achievement Team and The Virtual School for Looked‑after Children.