Inverness College UHI celebrates achievements of students during Learning Disability Week
Inverness College UHI is celebrating Learning Disability Week (13th to 19th May) with a range of events organised by staff and students within its supported education department.
The theme of this year’s awareness week is ‘community’, with the focus on celebrating the talents and achievements of people with learning disabilities and the importance of being involved and included in the local community.
Inverness College UHI runs a range of supported education programmes for people with additional support needs to build skills and confidence or enable them to progress on to further study, volunteering or work.
Tomorrow (Friday 10th May), the department welcomes in partner agencies for a community tea party, including residents from Cradlehall Care Home, who will join students for a singalong.
Students on the Skillsbuilder 2 programme will also be working alongside Highland-based charity Health and Happiness to record their second transition video to help students with learning disabilities move on to new opportunities after college. The students have already recorded a video, which helps prepare young people for life after school.
On Saturday 11th May, 10am to 12pm, the supported education department is holding an open morning at Inverness College UHI. This is an opportunity for people to find out more about our supported education programmes and meet current students.
Then, on Tuesday 14th May and Friday 17th May, Inverness College UHI will be holding a graduation ceremony for students on its Skillsbuilder 1 and 2 programmes, who are moving on to new ventures, ranging from further study to work placements. The department will be celebrating the students’ individual journeys.
Skillsbuilder students have also contributed to a photography exhibition celebrating their community involvement, which runs all next week in the Learning Resource Centre at Inverness College UHI.
Lindsay Macleod, Skillsbuilder 1 programme leader, said: "This week is a celebration of every student’s individual achievements over the past year, however big or seemingly small.”
Anne-Marie Harmsworth, Skillsbuilder 2 programme leader, said: "This is the largest amount of students with learning disabilities that we have ever had graduating from Inverness College UHI. We have worked hard to support them through their transition process and we can't wait to see what they go onto achieve within their communities.”
Dean Stewart, a Skillsbuilder 2 student, said: I'm so excited for my graduation and feel prepared and ready to leave Inverness College UHI. I'll be setting up my own anti bullying organisation with the help of People First called ‘Spread the Sunshine,’ when I leave. I'll be running workshops in youth clubs to tell young people why they shouldn't be mean.”
Find out about supported education programmes at Inverness College UHI.