On Tuesday, October 24, Erasmus University Rotterdam's Academic Outreach Programme organized their Profile Choice Programme for 250 third-class vwo pupils from five Rotterdam schools: Hugo de Groot, Avicenna, Montfort College, Lyceum Kralingen and Zuidergymnasium.
The inspiration event aims to inspire and support the pupils, many of whom have a migrant background or come from lower-income families, in their profile choice.
About the Profile Choice Programme
The Profile Choice Programme is a programme for third-grade vwo pupils to help them make their profile choice. The programme on Tuesday, October 24, hosted by presenter Paulo Lopes (TEDx), aimed to make pupils aware of the profile choice process at school and inform them about the role profiles play in further studies, professions, careers and their future.
During the event, the 250 pupils attended workshops and Q&A sessions with inspiring speakers such as Sinan Karaca, founder of clothing brand Clan de Banlieue, Inge Koedoot of Downtown Music, and Micky and Linky Chen of Minite.
Sinan Karaca, founder Clan de Banlieue: "First try to discover what you like. I think this is very important. Discovering what you want to do may take a little longer. But once you know, go for it 200%."
Pupil 3VWO: "After today I changed my choice. I now dare to choose what I really like."
About the Academic Outreach Programme
The Academic Outreach Programme - part of EUR's IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access) Center - organizes activities and workshops for Rotterdam elementary and secondary schools, to promote equity in education. Students from traditionally underrepresented groups may encounter obstacles on their way to theoretical education and during their studies. The Academic Outreach Program connects pupils, students, parents, educational institutions, researchers, policymakers and community partners to address these barriers and give all of our region's talent equal opportunities to develop to their fullest potential.
Prof. dr. Semiha Denktaş, Chief Diversity Officer Erasmus University Rotterdam: “The activities in our programme are often pupils' first introduction to a university. We ensure that students are introduced to role models, student ambassadors with, for example, a migration backgrounds, or students who were the first in their families to go to college. We believe that our university should be equally accessible to all talented young people, regardless of their background or their social or economic circumstances.”