19 of our students adopted roles at The River & Rowing Museum where they gained valuable work experiences.
In November, 19 of our students embarked on a rewarding collaborative project with the River & Rowing Museum, situated on the picturesque banks of the river in Henley-Upon-Thames. This initiative marked our participation in Kids in Museums’ ‘National Takeover Day,’ an event designed to offer young individuals valuable work experiences within a museum setting.
During the week leading up to National Takeover Day, students from our Entry 1 (Pathways) course played a crucial role in assisting the River & Rowing Museum in preparations. Pathways students, who engage in weekly work experiences at the museum to enhance their employability skills, were actively involved in preparing materials for the upcoming Takeover Day.
This is what I call a real-life learning experience, and that’s the classroom of the future. I’d like to thank the River & Rowing Museum for this great collaboration between the college and a local museum
Upon their 10 am arrival on the designated day, students were introduced to their chosen roles, ranging from social media manager to curator. Their responsibilities included designing a letter hunt for young children, conducting guided tours, and contributing to a re-display in selected areas of the museum shop.
Museum curator Cate Tren shared her thoughts on the event, stating, “This is the first student takeover since the 2020 lockdown, and we are thrilled that students from The Henley College played a significant role in this memorable event. Having participated in Student Takeover Day as a child, I hope that this day has been as inspirational for the students as it was for me. The students were enthusiastic and did a brilliant job!”
The day concluded with a celebratory event featuring a final presentation organized by students with events assistant roles. During the presentation, students discussed the responsibilities of their roles, the challenges they encountered, and how they overcame them. Additionally, the students provided invaluable insights into the museum by suggesting ways to make museums more appealing to young adults.
Satwant Deol, Principal of The Henley College, joined in to experience a portion of the Takeover Day. She expressed, “Going on the tour and learning lots of new information has been amazing. This is what I call a real-life learning experience, and that’s the classroom of the future. I’d like to thank the River & Rowing Museum for this great collaboration between the college and a local museum.”
The celebratory end-of-day event was attended by Deputy Mayor of Henley Rory Hunt and Vice Principal Eamonn Egan, who viewed the students’ presentation and later joined them for networking and refreshments. Deputy Mayor of Henley, Rory Hunt, commented, “I am pleased to see The River & Rowing Museum become even more embedded in our community by collaborating with The Henley College. It’s wonderful to see so many young people interested in the museum. I hope this is the first collaborative event of many.”
Reflecting on the first half of the academic year, we take pride in strengthening connections with our local community. From offering English lessons to Ukrainian refugees to hosting Climate Conferences with Greener Henley, we aim to continue and build upon these initiatives into the new year.
