Helping high school students in Utrecht
Because of the corona crisis, school leaders are concerned about a group of vulnerable high school students in Utrecht. These pupils are struggling on a day-to-day basis with their homeschooling and are in danger of getting behind with their schoolwork and language development. Lieke Stelling, Erik van Sebille and Martijn Huysmans, three members of the Utrecht Young Academy, became a buddy of students and offer weekly guidance and help with their homework.
The language buddy programme is organised by Taal Doet Meer, with early-stage support from Utrecht University and the Utrecht Young Academy. By having weekly online contact, mentors provide a positive and practical contribution for pupils during these times.
Lieke Stelling, Assistant Professor in English literature and member of the Utrecht Young Academy, explains that she was positively surprised at how much she enjoys the contact with her pupil. “The idea that you can mean something to someone at such a fundamental level, even when taking very small steps, is very pleasant. I think my pupil also enjoys it. Because of these reasons it is easy to make time for it.”
"She has only been in the Netherlands for three years and while it has not always been easy, it is fantastic to see how she puts all her time and effort into her homework."
Erik van Sebille, Associate Professor in oceanography and climate change, helps a pupil with her Dutch, Social Studies and Economics classes. “She has only been in the Netherlands for three years and while it has not always been easy, it is fantastic to see how she puts all her time and effort into her homework.”
Erik also uses the opportunity to engage with the VMBO curriculum. “I was surprised by the poor quality of some of the assignments my pupil has been given. Previously, colleagues already mentioned that the quality of teaching materials at VMBO level is low, but now I can see it for myself. This causes a lot of unnecessary confusion for my pupil. I feel it is our social duty at university to also pay attention to the VMBO and call on all my colleagues to help where they can.”
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, you can find more information on the website of Taal Doet Meer.