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Discover UCL summer school for D/deaf and hard of hearing students

18 August 2014

Last week UCL ran an innovative three day residential summer school exclusively for D/deaf and hard of hearing students from across the UK.

Discover UCL Summer School student

The Discover UCL Summer School, which was developed and run in partnership with UCL Deafness Cognition and Language Research Centre (DCAL) and the Deaf Education Advocacy Fellowship (DEAF), gave 20 Year 11 and 12 pupils a taste of student life in London.

Students took part in a variety of academic taster sessions and workshops - which included tips on writing a UCAS personal statement, applying for student finance and information on the specialist support available to D/deaf and hard of hearing students at university.

Organiser Alice Salmon said: "Deaf students are severely underrepresented at university level and as far as we are aware UCL is the first university in the UK to run a residential summer school just for D/deaf and hard of hearing students.

"Programmes like this are incredibly important for widening participation in Higher Education. We really wanted to give students a better understanding of what life at university is like and to encourage them to apply."

The students also had the chance to meet with D/deaf and hard of hearing graduates to learn about their personal experiences of student life in London and what they have been up to since finishing university.

Emily Medlock, a year 12 pupil from Shireoaks, Nottinghamshire described the summer school as a wonderful and unique experience, "I met a lot of individuals who were going on the same journey as I am in life, being Deaf and wanting to go to university."

Grace Penn, a year 11 student from the Knightsfield School in Hertfordshire said: "This was an amazing opportunity and gave me a chance to find out more about UCL. Now my confidence has grown and I am even more determined to work hard from now on. Because of UCL, I believe in myself and that I can do it. Being deaf doesn't stop me doing anything."

   

Discover UCL summer school for D/deaf and hard of hearing students
 

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  • Top: Discover UCL Summer School student in UCL Grant Museum
  • Bottom: Discover UCL Summer School group