Together we go for inclusive education
Tilburg University thinks that all current and potential students, irrespective of their background, should feel a sense of belonging at our University. That is why we participate in the national programme Students-4-Students (S4S) of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. The aim is to stimulate diversity and equal opportunities in education. Students at Tilburg University are committed to this with various projects aimed at primary and secondary education.
Our goal is to make sure that all children come into contact with science and get the best out of themselves. We focus mainly on children aged 9 to 14 with a migration background and/or children in underprivileged communities in Tilburg. Teachers can apply for one of the projects if they are interested.
Projects
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Diversity in the classroom
In order to foster awareness and appreciation for different cultures and languages in children early on, S4S cooperates with schools in and around Tilburg to set up lessons in which our volunteers can make a positive impact as role models for the children. Particularly volunteers who come from less than privileged backgrounds (i.e., migration background, first-generation university students, students who grew up in poverty) can tell the pupils about their story, their home country, and their experiences.
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Learning module superdiversity
Diversity is a very relevant topic. At home, at school, at the sports club or in the supermarket. You will find people with a diverse set of backgrounds, religions and cultures. Scientists at Tilburg University are extensively researching diversity. How did it originate? Why do some children speak more than one language? How to deal with diversity in the classroom? You can find educational content about it in this Dutch learning module. It can be applied in the classroom or at home.
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English lessons by international students
Our role models also play a part in the internationalization program of Tilburg primary schools. They visit primary schools for half a day to give presentations for children. They tell pupils about their country of origin and their cultural traditions. The students use visual aids and show objects from their culture (e.g., clothing, jewelry). Afterwards, the pupils can ask questions and they give a short presentation on the Netherlands in English to the student. As a result of this project, children get to acquainted with various cultures and S4S contributes to pupils’ command of English.
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