Links Media College is an impactful service provision sitting within Community Links in the heart of Canning Town, London that supports young people to find their future with fully accredited and recognised qualifications in Music Technology, English, and Maths.
Many of the students at Links Media College are facing obstacles that may be linked to protected characteristics, postcode, low academic attainment, or self-esteem, yet the service strives to fuel their confidence and prospects through whole person education and encouraging creative, musical opportunities.
Josh Kyriacou, Lead Teacher, has reflected on the success of the graduation celebration ceremony last Friday:
“With 407 young people enrolled this past year, the graduation ceremony was special to us for many reasons. It is our first major celebration since starting out two years ago and was a chance to look back and see the journey we have travelled. It was more than just handing out student certificates for Links Media College; the graduation ceremony was a celebration of the learner journey and the achievements made, both academically and personally.
“Our Programme Manager Jason opened the evening’s proceedings with an overview of Links Media College and Links Studios, our partners, and academic statistics. Certificates and awards were announced with the opportunity for learners to be celebrated on stage in front of their friends and families. With some of the awards reflecting the learner’s personal journey since being with us, such as the Resilience and Perseverance Award, the Learner Ambition Award and the Peer Support Award, our learners’ stories were considered as barriers they have overcome as we aim to educate the whole person. This celebration was taken to the next level with talented musical performances and artwork from our young people at Links Studios. Then came the DJ, who spun us into a new vibe!
“The event’s highlights were the Caribbean cuisine (which was promptly devoured) and the photo booth. Seeing family, friends, staff, and professional partners enjoy their photo print outs after all the posing was a real pleasure. I was certain that we had ordered way above the amount that we needed for drinks, but there was none to be found at the end of the night!
“And lastly, thank yous. Our thank you list was long and ever-growing throughout the night as we remembered all those from in and outside of Catch22 who have supported Links Media College and Links Studios from the beginning. It just goes to show how supported we are as a provision and the importance of working together with others so that we can provide an excellent service for our young people.
“Our Graduation Ceremony was a definite highlight of the year, and we are already looking forward to the next one.”