After demonstrating the strong and sustainable impact of their youth projects, EPIC Assist Charity Scotland has now become one of the Children’s University Scotland’s Learning Destinations.
Children’s University Scotland was founded in 2013 to inspire children to take part in learning beyond the classroom. They work with schools and other providers that help children overcome barriers to learning and to further their talents and interests. To date, Children’s University Scotland has supported over 8,000 children to access enjoyable learning activities. During this process, 1,200 so-called Learning Destinations have partnered with the charity.
Following consultation, Children’s University Scotland and EPIC Assist found the latter’s youth projects to be a perfect fit with the vision of the Children’s University. Both the Edinburgh Girls Project, run twice over the past year, and the Lothians Boys Project which is going to be run twice this autumn, are focused on overcoming barriers to learning created by social disadvantage through addressing topics related to mental, social and physical health.
As future EPIC Assist youth projects will follow the same formula as the Edinburgh Girls Project and the Lothians Boys Project, Children’s University Scotland decided to grant EPIC Assist status as a Learning Destination. This means that children will be able to collect credits for Children’s University Scotland through EPIC Assist’s upcoming boys’ projects in Tranent and Livingston.
The credits children gather through Learning Destinations contribute to building their Passports of Learning. These are passports they can get through their schools and they are used for collecting Children’s University credits for doing fun, interactive activities provided by Learning Destinations in their spare time. The amount of credits obtained differs from each activity. When a child has obtained enough credits in their Passports, they receive certificates and awards at a special Children’s University graduation ceremony. In addition to stimulating innovative learning, this gives participants a sense of empowerment and encourages them to learn more in the future.
Children’s University hopes to contribute to significant improvements in children’s learning beyond the classroom as well as narrowing the gap for children experiencing poverty and disadvantage. They intend to help thousands of more children across Scotland over the next few years to find, access and enjoy the best possible opportunities for them to succeed at school and in life.
EPIC Assist fully supports Children’s University Scotland’s vision and is delighted about this new and exciting partnership. The accreditation proves that EPIC Assist’s youth projects are successful in providing innovative learning and overcoming barriers. It also gives another incentive to participate in the projects and allows the children to celebrate their achievements and receive recognition for learning about healthy habits in an even more tangible way than before. We look forward to joining powers and be in an even stronger position to contribute to a more equal society for children.