Curio students bask in the Galway sunshine

For the past few years, we have had the pleasure of hosting groups from Curio, a Dutch Vocational Education Centre. This year’s contingent was made up of students training for employment in various caring roles. The Curio students were in Galway to broaden their horizons, develop independence and self-reliance, and expand their English language skills.

During their two-week stay, the weather couldn’t have been better: lovely sunshine, blue skies, and warm summer breezes. Team leader, Janina Filius, took time out to speak to us about Curio and about their annual trips to Atlantic.

Janina started by introducing herself and the group:

My name is Janina Filius and I’m an English teacher in the Netherlands at a vocational education centre. We teach level one to level-four courses at Curio.

Among them, we have level-two students who want to get into care and welfare and help people at a hospital, nursing homes, or similar locations. We also have students who want to do sports and recreation and help with exercise and stuff like that in primary schools. We usually come here every year around April or May for two weeks to explore.

Located in West Brabant, Netherlands, Curio delivers lifelong learning through pre-vocational and vocational education and training (VET/MBO). The institution offers education on four levels with school-based and work-based pathway options. Curio students participate in work placements at partner companies, a precondition for obtaining a qualification.

The visiting group consisted of level-two students on a pathway to obtain one of four care qualifications. As Janina explained:

This group who’s here now is mixed. Unfortunately, we have no sports and recreation students. Instead, I think we have three facility work trainees, with the rest of the students preparing for work in care. Students can choose whatever career path they want. It’s the same education, but they choose a different profile.

As English is a subject in all pathways, bringing a group to Galway makes sense. The students attended a tailored Intensive General English course here at Atlantic in the mornings before exploring the city and scenic spots in the afternoons.

They’ve been going to class in the morning. And then during afternoon, they went for a walk around Galway, went to the museum, went on a scavenger hunt. And yeah, it’s Ireland, so they went to the pub. We’re going on a trip next week. We would love to go to the cliffs if the weather’s nice. A bit of sight seeing as well.

To maximise their English learning, the group communicated in English all week.

They’re a bit exhausted. They are having a busy two weeks and long hours, and they have to speak English the entire time. Some are very strong in English, some might need a bit of work, but they’re settling in okay.

The scavenger hunt was a particular highlight for everyone:

It was really nice. We went with the teacher and split them up in two groups. Then they got five or six clues which led them to different locations.

At the end, we all met up at the Spanish Arch and just sat there. The weather was lovely. We were sitting on the grass in the sun playing Who am I? It was really nice.

You could see even those who wouldn’t be the strongest in English managed to find the clues because they’d already explored the town with their teacher Kevin. They were like, “oh, I remember this statue, or I remember the butterfly in the water.“

Improving their English skills is just one of the benefits the Curio students will take home. As Janina explained:

They’re all 18 plus, so they have to be responsible. Before the course, they had to write down learning goals for their trip. I think we have nine students, and eight out of nine wrote down that they wanted to become more independent, do things on their own during their first solo trip away from home.

Janina has been to Galway and Atlantic several times and was very positive about her latest experience:

I do like how the school has changed things up over the last few years because actually in the past, the students were in a mixed group, and they had a couple of long and a couple of shorter days.

Now they have a full day (of tuition) for the entire week mixed with different activities. It’s very good for our students.

For the staff team and teachers at Atlantic, it is always a privilege to collaborate with Curio in delivering an international learning experience to their students.