Birkbeck’s ‘Learning Cafés’ offer free study sessions
Innovative and popular Learning Cafés are returning in February
Are you thinking about a new career, or wanting to get back into work after a career break? Joining a Birkbeck ‘Learning Café’ could help.
Birkbeck’s innovative and popular Learning Cafés – five-week courses of free study sessions – are returning in February in two new venues, Royal Docks Learning & Activity Centre, Albert Road, North Woolwich, London E16 2JB, and Brookhill Children’s & Community Centre, 130 Brookhill Road, London SE18 6UZ.
The Cafés are friendly spaces in community centres where participants can try out different subjects to help find out what really interests them. Each session is one hour, one day a week, for five weeks and no specific qualifications are needed. Everyone is welcome, and free childcare is provided while adults are at the Learning Café.
What will I learn?
The sessions include looking at how a higher education qualification can help people find a way into their chosen career. Participants can find out about recent changes to the funding system and how to finance further study, with information about loans, cash bursaries and fee reductions. There will be a campus visit, and a session to help identify skills you already have that you can use in HE.
You can think about some of the questions which might have stopped you from taking steps into learning – and have a free coffee at the same time!
The Cafés, featured last year on The Guardian’s Higher Education Network website, are part of Birkbeck’s continuing commitment to bringing high quality learning opportunities to East London, and to supporting mature learners as they overcome barriers to accessing higher education.
Birkbeck’s campus in East London
The major next step in Birkbeck’s provision for working East Londoners will be University Square Stratford, Birkbeck’s new campus in Stratford, East London, due to open in autumn this year. A joint venture with the University of East London, University Square Stratford is a pioneering £33 million project whose facilities will include a Learning Centre, performing arts rehearsal and theatre space, student support centre and 300-seat lecture theatre.
The building is in the heart of Stratford’s cultural quarter and a short walk from Stratford’s transport hub, the Westfield Shopping Centre and the former Olympic Park, now undergoing a major redevelopment into homes, workplaces and cultural and sporting venues.
How can I take part?
Join a Learning Café to get a head start on new career possibilities in the heart of East London.
Venue: Royal Docks Learning & Activity Centre, Albert Road, North Woolwich, London E16 2JB
Date and time: Every Monday for five weeks from 25 February – 25 March 2013, 9.30am – 10.30am
Venue: Brookhill Children’s and Community Centre, 130 Brookhill Road, London SE18 6UZ
Date and time: Every Wednesday for five weeks from 20 February – Wednesday 27 March, 9.30am – 10.30am
Venue: Campus tour of UEL, Room UH247, Stratford campus, Water Lane, London E15 4LZ
Date and time: Monday 25 March 10am–11am
Suggested hashtag for this event for Twitter users: #getlearning
To find out more, or to book a place, contact Patrice Buddington on 020 7223 4390/020 7380 3107 or email tryit@bbk.ac.uk .