Please see below for more information about King's Widening Participation Global Summer Experiences - please note that we are unsure whether the ACU grants programme will run. Details of the programmes from the last time it ran are for reference only. We will update this page when we have further details.

In addition to the programmes below, Widening Participation students interested a summer programme should certainly consider our range of Global Summer Experiences in combination with the Broadening Horizons Award. 

Below are exciting summer opportunities open to students who meet the King's Widening Participation criteria.

Pagoda Projects Sustainable Global Experience - one week online and one week in Brussels

What is this opportunity?

On this programme, students will explore the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in theory and practice, completing a one-week Carbon Literacy Training online, before a six-day field trip to Brussels. Sustainable Global Experiences is funded and brought to you by King’s Careers & Employability and Global Mobility and delivered with support from our partners at Pagoda Projects.

What will you be doing?

• Become certified in Carbon Literacy, accredited by the Carbon Literacy Project
• Workshops, masterclasses and networking with public and private sector organisations
• Gain an understanding of climate change and carbon emissions in everyday life
• Learn to travel, live and explore the city in the most sustainable way
• Meet the inspiring people behind key sustainable development projects in the city

Week 1: Digital Training

• 12 hours of Carbon Literacy Training
• Access to Pagoda’s online skills courses
• Join an online community through the Pagoda Portal
• Live online events and networking opportunities
• Digital certificates from Pagoda & Carbon Literacy Project
• Lifetime access to the Pagoda alumni network

Week 2: Six-day Sustainable Field Trip

• 1-week study tour in Brussels
• Tours, masterclasses & networking events
• Engage with public & private sector organisations
• Sustainable group travel and hostel accommodation
• Enquiry-based learning group projects and presentations
• Full on-site support from the Pagoda team
• Carbon emissions offset by 150%

Eligibility - who can apply?*

This programme is specifically for UK/Home fee-paying status undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds. If you are an undergraduate, paying Home fees, and meet one or more of the following criteria, you can apply:

• You have a disability
• None of your parents/carers attended university
• You are care experienced / a care leaver
• You were / are a young carer
• You are in receipt of the King's Living Bursary
• You are in receipt of a Sanctuary Scholarship/Jesus the Light Sanctuary Scholarship
• You are in receipt of a means-tested NHS bursary (students whose parental/spouse/student contribution is higher than £2,226 are ineligible to apply)
• You are a Black, Asian, or Diverse Heritage student
• You are from Gypsy, Roma or Traveller heritage
• You are an estranged student
• You are a mature learner undertaking your first degree (aged 21+ on the first day of your degree)
• You have taken part in Realising Opportunities, K+, IntoUniversity, or a Sutton Trust Summer School

*If you are unsure if you are eligible to apply, please email studyabroad@kcl.ac.uk.

Programme details

Programme Dates

July 14th – 19th July 2024. Carbon Literacy Train to commence the week before you travel.

Funding

This programme is fully funded for eligible students, although students will be invoiced for a refundable £50 deposit. Deposits are refunded at the successful end of the programme, minus any cleaning fees or additional charges. Please note that daily spending money for food is not covered by our programme fees.

Additional financial support is available through the Broadening Horizons Award. Check your eligibility criteria and submit your application on the Broadening Horizons Award webpage .

Please note that additional funding cannot be guaranteed to each student, and award amounts are subject to change year on year and depend on which and how many primary and secondary criteria students meet, level of financial need, destination, length of stay, and the overall number of applications received by the Global Mobility Office in each round.

Expenses

Inclusions

• Carbon Literacy Training and Certification fees
• Organised return group travel
• Shared hostel accommodation
• Daily breakfast
• Events & activities
• Travel expenses to programme events & activities
• One Welcome Meal & One Farewell Meal

*Full details can be found in our Programme Agreement upon successful application.

Exclusions

• Visa fees
• Expenses on non-programme inclusive activities & transportation
• Daily expenses for food
• Additional purchases

Brussels is a capital city with corresponding prices, so please factor that into your budgeting when planning your activities. Here is a breakdown of how much you can expect to pay for things:

• A meal with a non-alcoholic drink: €16
• A sandwich: €5
• A coffee: €2.80
• A beer: €5
• A cocktail: €8
• An attraction ticket: €10-20
• A metro journey: €2.10

Transport

The group will travel via Eurostar. On average, travelling on the Eurostar emits 10 times less carbon per passenger compared to a short-haul flight to the same destination.

Accommodation

Reflecting the programme’s core ethos of low-carbon living, the group will stay in high-quality hostels. This supports and demonstrates sustainable and environmental practices. The hostel will be situated in, or close to, the city centre with excellent public transport links.

Pagoda Portal

The Pagoda Portal is a digital hub for our student community. Our online skills courses focus on Employability, Digital Competency and Intercultural Fluency.

For eligibility or funding-related questions, please contact studyabroad@kcl.ac.uk

For programme-related questions, please contact info@pagodaprojects.com

How and when to apply

If you think you meet the eligibility criteria, apply directly with Pagoda Projects on their website.

Applications close at 23.59pm on 4 February 2024.

Further information

For more information, please contact the Global Mobility Office.

Pagoda Projects Sustainable Global Experience - online only

What is this opportunity?

On this programme, students will explore the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in theory and practice, completing a five-day sustainable development study programme online. Sustainable Global Experiences is funded and brought to you by King’s Careers & Employability and Global Mobility and delivered with support from our partners at Pagoda Projects.

What will you be doing?

SGE Online is a 5-day sustainable development study programme.

• Students gain certification in Carbon Literacy, accredited by the Carbon Literacy Project.
• This programme includes 30 hours of contact time and self-directed study; a mixture of live teaching, workshops and webinars with industry experts, group projects and presentations.
• Gain an understanding of climate change and carbon emissions in everyday life.
• It’s suitable for all students from all academic disciplines. This programme explores sustainable development in theory and practice in relation to UN SDGs.

Phase 1 - Carbon Literacy Training

This training is developed by academics at Manchester Metropolitan University (UK) and the University of Queensland (Australia). It’s accredited by the Carbon Literacy Project and delivered by Pagoda Projects’ certified Carbon Literacy Facilitators. Key topics include:

• The Definition of Greenhouse Gases
• International Carbon Footprints
• International Vulnerability to Climate Change
• The Carbon Footprint of Food & Travel
• The Urgency to Taking Action on Climate Change
• Spheres of Influence
• Communicating (Climate) Change
• Energy Behaviours & Carbon Savings
• Imagining a Zero Carbon World
• The Role of Education in Delivering Zero Carbon

Phase 2 - Online Activities

Students participate in a series of online activities and discussions relating to the programme’s SDGs. Through webinars, workshops and group projects and presentations, they’ll explore global issues relating to climate change and carbon reduction. Example activities include:

• Group orientations, activities and introductions
• Webinars with industry professionals on sustainability issues
• Workshops on Climate Change and the Theory of Change
• Online skills courses to boost employability and competency
• EBL group projects and online presentation sessions
• Live online events and networking opportunities

Eligibility - who can apply?*

This programme is specifically for UK/Home fee-paying status undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds. If you are an undergraduate, paying Home fees, and meet one or more of the following criteria, you can apply:

• You have a disability
• None of your parents/carers attended university
• You are care experienced / a care leaver
• You were / are a young carer
• You are in receipt of the King's Living Bursary
• You are in receipt of a Sanctuary Scholarship/Jesus the Light Sanctuary Scholarship
• You are in receipt of a means-tested NHS bursary (students whose parental/spouse/student contribution is higher than £2,226 are ineligible to apply)
• You are a Black, Asian, or Diverse Heritage student
• You are from Gypsy, Roma or Traveller heritage
• You are an estranged student
• You are a mature learner undertaking your first degree (aged 21+ on the first day of your degree)
• You have taken part in Realising Opportunities, K+, IntoUniversity, or a Sutton Trust Summer School

* If you are unsure if you are eligible to apply, please email studyabroad@kcl.ac.uk.

Programme details

Programme Dates

21st July 2024 – 26th July 2024

Funding

The programme fees are fully funded for eligible students. Additional financial support is available via KCL's Broadening Horizons Award. To check the eligibility criteria and to submit your application for additional financial support from King's College London, go to the Broadening Horizons Award webpage.

Please note that additional funding cannot be guaranteed to each student, and award amounts are subject to change year on year and depend on which and how many primary and secondary criteria students meet, level of financial need, destination, length of stay, and the overall number of applications received by the Global Mobility Office in each round.

Key Outcomes

Students will complete an Enquiry-Based Learning (EBL) group project and presentation. EBL assignments encourage students to ‘learn through experience’ and develop their understanding by investigating and asking questions. It’s a great opportunity for students to put key skills and theory into practice.

Pagoda Portal

The Pagoda Portal is a digital hub for our student community. You can use it to network with other students, locate key information and register for online skills courses. Our online skills courses focus on Employability, Digital Competency and Intercultural Fluency. They’ll provide you with the skills and agility needed for a global and ever-changing workplace

For eligibility or funding-related questions, please contact studyabroad@kcl.ac.uk

For programme-related questions, please contact info@pagodaprojects.com

How and when to apply

If you think you meet the eligibility criteria, please apply directly with Pagoda Projects on their website.

Applications close at 23.59pm on 4 February 2024.

Further information

For more information, please contact the Global Mobility Office.

Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) Global Summer School Grants (not available in 2023; maybe available for 2024)

What is it?

The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) offers 20 grants of up to £2,000 each for undergraduate students from ACU member universities in the UK to attend summer schools during summer 2020, with up to two King’s students being nominated for this award, with a final decision resting with the ACU.

Award and report

The maximum grant amount in 2020 was £2,000. The grant will not be awarded for 2023 and is still to be confirmed for summer 2024. This is intended to contribute to registration fees, travel to and from the summer school, and visa and vaccination costs. Successful applicants are responsible for arranging their own flights, registering for the summer school in question, and making their own visa and vaccination arrangements.

The total cost of flights plus registration fees will exceed £2,000 for some of the summer schools, so applicants should carefully check the costs for each school using a currency converter, such as xe.com.

Successful applicants will be required to submit a short written report about their experience to the ACU within a month of their return.

Eligibility*

Grants are available to students who meet both of these criteria:

• Are registered on an undergraduate course
• Are ordinarily resident in the UK

In addition, students must also meet at least one of the following criteria:

• are in receipt of the King's Living Bursary
• • are in receipt of a means-tested NHS bursary, which has a contribution deduction of up to £1,963 (we will need to see your bursary entitlement letter)
  • have taken part in Realising Opportunities, K+, or a Sutton Trust Summer School (find out more on our Social Mobility & Widening Participation webpages)
  • are mature learners doing their first degrees
  • are care experienced, young carers, or estranged students
  • are holders of the Sanctuary Scholarship
  • are Gypsy, Roma, or Traveller students
  • are students on the Extended Medical Degree Programme or the Enhanced Support Dentistry Programme
  • Be the first person in their family to go to university
  • Be a care leaver

* If you are unsure if you are eligible to apply, please email studyabroad@kcl.ac.uk.

Where could I go?

In the application form, you will be asked to pick a first choice and an optional second choice of summer school. Please note that the dates, content, and costs of the summer schools vary, and all details can be found on the ACU Host Universities webpage.

The available options are as follows:

• Christ University
• Daffodil International University
• Kyambogo University
• Lovely Professional University
• Nanyang Technological University
• NSBM Green University Town
• Queen’s University
• SRM Institute of Science and Technology
• Stellenbosch University – General Elective Programme
• Stellenbosch University – Doing Business in Southern Africa
• Stellenbosch University – Learning, Sustainability and Community Engagement
• Stellenbosch University – Public Health
• Universiti Putra Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur Summer Business Programme
• Universiti Putra Malaysia - Putra Agriculture Summer School
• University of Auckland
• University of Gibraltar

How and when to apply

If the award is offered for summer 2024, details will appear here.

Student experiences

Two King's students attended Stellenbosch University in 2018 through the ACU Summer School Grants. One of these students said:

'My summer school at Stellenbosch was an amazing opportunity! I left having learned a whole lot about South Africa as a nation and place, with a group of new international friends and a desire to see more of the world.'

Further information

For more information, please contact the Global Mobility Office.

If you would like to discuss any of these opportunities further, please email us at studyabroad@kcl.ac.uk and you can arrange to speak with a member of team via email or MSTeams.

You can find out more about Widening Participation activities on our Social Mobility & Widening Participation webpages.