Students-4-Students Tilburg: do you want to join us?
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. You can also participate as a student!
Students-4-Students Tilburg is a student community by and for students that is committed to creating a sense of belonging by honing diverse and inclusive spaces for education. By working together with various partners who share our objectives, we are building an international community where everyone feels welcome. We achieve this goal by connecting the multicultural university community with the local community in meaningful ways.
What we can do for you as a student?
Are you a student who is interested in social projects in which you can work on your soft skills and meet students with the same motivation? Then S4S Tilburg is the place to be for you. Our role models are students who feel they should contribute to society. Regular brainstorm sessions and networking events help us to come up with cool ideas and projects together. You will form part of a warm and enthusiastic community, in which great minds think alike!
What do we expect from you as a role model?
S4S is a student community where you don't immediately need to make commitments. We would be happy to welcome you at one of our brainstorm sessions! If you want to make a more solid contribution, we have a great variety of projects to choose from, from one-off projects to projects
that last a year or so. As soon as you are registered with us as a role model, we will inform you by e-mail of projects available. If you come across a project that would suit you, you can sign up for it.
Students-4-Students projects you can participate in
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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.
More information
Role model Mohammed about inequality of opportunity (Dutch)
Role model Racheal about diversity (Dutch)
Meet the Students-4-Students team
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Jamie Piroe
President S4S TilburgI am studying Communication & Cognition combined with Cultural Diversity Management. I started with S4S Tilburg because, in my opinion, everyone should have the same opportunities in education and that everyone should feel welcome at our University. My passion for inclusion and diversity originates in my own experiences in the past few years as a first-generation student, so I am committed to raising awareness on these issues.
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Lizan Cuma
Treasurer of S4S TilburgI am Lizan Cuma and I am studying Bestuurskunde (Public Governance) at Tilburg University. I think that everyone should be entitled to equal opportunities regardless of your background or other factors. I would like to make children aware that, despite the differences, they can fully utilize their own potential and always follow their dreams. This way they can also achieve their goals despite the changes.
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Mané Kirakosian
Secretary S4S TilburgI study Communication & Information Sciences at Tilburg University. My role within S4S is mainly liaising with one of our partners, IMC Weekend School (IMC). In my view, children and young people from all school levels and social backgrounds should have the opportunity to focus on their future. In my own experience, this is not as obvious as it sounds and this motivates me to want to change this situation.
Partners of Students-4-Students
To realize our objectives, we collaborate with various partners, who form an important part of our community. The core of S4S Tilburg consists of the following organizations.
Tilburg University Junior
Tilburg University Junior wants to bring all children aged 9-14 in the Tilburg region into contact with science and the University, also children for whom this would not normally happen. It does so by offering information on academic themes in online learning programs and by organizing academically oriented activities and events like “Children’s University”.
In addition to supporting the student team, Tilburg University Junior collaborates closely with S4S. This guarantees that S4S’ objectives are included in the activities of Tilburg University Junior. For current events, possibilities are explored to also involve children from underprivileged areas. Thus S4S and Tilburg University Junior make sure that all children in Tilburg are offered the same opportunities to come into contact with science and the University.
Stichting MOVE
Stichting Move links children who are underprivileged, relative to their peers, to students. They subsequently come into action together to improve their environment. As a result, these children find out what they can achieve and what impact they can have on their own living environment. In this way, we help them to discover that they can change the world.
Stichting Move is active on a national level in ten large student cities, including Tilburg. In total, students have carried out more than 400 Move projects with children from primary schools in less privileged areas.
Are you interested in becoming active in Stichting Move via S4S? Please send an e-mail to s4s@tilburguniversity.edu and we will be happy to help you!
Babylon, Center of Study of Superdiversity
Babylon, Center of Study of Superdiversity is a Tilburg University research institute for studies of the multi-cultural society.
