Residents and volunteers of the homeless charity Porchlight visited the University on Wednesday 10 May to gain more insight into the opportunities available to enter higher education.
In total 15 people attended the day, which featured a number of activities including a seminar on creative writing and a sociology lecture on fake news delivered by tutors from the University to provide a taster of the sorts of topics that are open for study.
There was also the opportunity to hear from other mature student ambassadors about what it is like returning to education in later life and a campus tour to get a feel for the university.
The event also provided an insight into the Higher Education Diploma courses that are available at Brompton Academy in Gillingham and, starting in September, at Hartsdown Academy in Margate, which can act as the first step towards applying to study at university.
These part-time modules cover Sociology, Politics with Law, Psychology, Fine Art, and Creative Writing and English Literature and are equivalent to an A-level, providing the necessary qualifications to be considered for university study. There is also the opportunity to study GCSE English and Maths too.
These courses are part-time and take place in the evenings to allow people in work to take part. All course costs are covered by the University’s community budget, with the exception of a one-off administration fee of £125.
Those interested in finding out more about the courses are invited to contact the Community and Adult learning team.