Arden University sponsored and presented the Outstanding Student Group award at the 2019 WEA Awards.
Last week, Arden University attended the WEA Educational Impact Awards to present the winners of the Outstanding Student Group category with their prize.
The WEA Awards are hosted annually by the WEA, a leading advocate and provider of adult education in the United Kingdom. The ceremony recognises and rewards students, tutors, volunteers, partners and staff who have transformed their own lives or the lives of others through lifelong learning.
The Outstanding Student Group award, which was sponsored by Arden, celebrates collaborative learning and those who have impacted on their community.
This year’s winners were Science for ESOL Glasgow, a group of ten refugees and asylum seekers whose hard work and commitment to their studies presents a prime example of how ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) can help open doors in life, particularly to STEM opportunities.
Having fled Eritrea, Sudan, Yemen and Iraq, this group of students went on to complete their ESOL courses while also managing their resettlement process, and seven of the ten also gained an SCQF (Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework) qualification, too.
Arden’s Vice-Chancellor, Carl Lygo, was there to present the award to their tutor, as the students were unable to make it to the ceremony. He said:
“We heard some amazing stories from the award winners of how they had overcome adversity to change their lives through education. WEA’s volunteers work with the most challenging adult groups to widen access to education."
“Arden University is deeply committed to this segment of society - those that overcome obstacles in adult life to find their way to success. The Outstanding Student Group award that was awarded to ESOL Glasgow was thoroughly deserved and I was deeply touched by the work and commitment of the volunteers at WEA.”
