We recently sat down with Alex, our first Learning in the Community placement student from the University of Edinburgh, to chat about his time supporting our services.
Alex has always been passionate about supporting young people. During his final year at school he shadowed S1 students who needed additional support to help them acclimatise to the new school environment. With time, his passion for helping young people and those around him flourished and he began to balance working as a learning support assistant in a primary school alongside completing his BA Learning in the Community degree.
Alex’s degree has a focus on ethnography which is the study and systematic recording of human cultures often recorded through interviews by speaking to the community. People Know How peaked Alex’s interest due to our approach of working directly with communities to identify their needs and find ways to provide that support that empower the community.
Alex’s placement ran from December to June as our first Learning in the Community placement student. He was a great asset to our Reconnect and Positive Transitions teams, balancing his volunteering schedule alongside his placement and giving his all to support our work. He further supported his studies by interacting with the people we support, learning about their lives and the impact of accessing our services. He attended digital groups across Edinburgh and the Lothians, bringing positive energy to those who may be experiencing isolation and regularly answered calls made to our Digital Support Helpline. In addition, he provided entertaining and educational sessions for young people during a recent befriending project with Tollcross Primary School.
A rewarding placement
As a placement student at People Know How, Alex had access to support and advice from VIP Officer Leah and VIP Manager Amy. Leah researched ethnography and the modules included within Alex’s degree to allow her to tailor Alex’s placement to best support his learning and progression.
Alex’s time at People Know How marked the end of his first of 3 major placements which total 370 hours. Subsequent placements will continue his studies in ethnography, giving him a chance to learn more about the support needed in communities across Edinburgh and the Lothians. He is one step closer to achieving his goals of supporting young people, creating pathways to help them discover what they want to do in life and through his placement has discovered new ways in which he can inspire the next generation.
We’re incredibly proud to have had Alex join us for the first half of 2024 and look forward to seeing how he continues to inspire local communities. Our first Learning in the Community Placement Student has been a resounding success and we look forward to welcoming more students into People Know How.