When these students signed up to courses at Redcar and Cleveland College, it was the North-east coastline that they were expecting to be the backdrop to their studies.
But this adventurous group of 14 sport, public services and policing students, could be in with the chance of swapping a lunch break at Redcar beach for the white sands of Miami.
They are raising the funds to help make this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity a reality.
Sport student Sebastian said: “I never expected to get a chance like this. I have never been abroad or even on a plane before so, for me, and all of us, this really would be an incredible experience.”
On the list for the Turing Scheme, a government programme that helps part fund study and work placements around the world, the team has been tasked with raising the remainder of the funds to secure their place on the two-week excursion.
In Miami the students will attend Miami Dade College, where they will take part in a host of sporting activities alongside their US counterparts and fellow Turing-backed students from across the UK.
Redcar and Cleveland College’s course leader for sport and fitness Graham Timms explained: “This is a one from the bucket list life experience. It will see the students build in confidence and skills, in particular enhancing their coaching experience and getting the chance to work alongside people from other parts of the country and the world.
“Many of our students at the college have never been abroad before, and with families that may struggle financially, it can be difficult to organise student trips to the likes of London or other places within the UK.”
It is with this in mind the Redcar student team set about raising the remaining £10,500 to help cover the cost of the visit without putting the financial burden on families. It has also proven a great opportunity to dust up on their entrepreneurial skills.
A mighty boost of £6,500 from the Sir William Turner Foundation, a charity that offers annual grants to colleges and schools in Redcar to support activities that fall outside the curriculum, has given them a flying start.
A further donation of £500 from the W2 Football Academy, a youth academy offering coaching to children, has moved the students a step closer to their target.
The students have been putting in the hard work by organising blind cards and selling hot drinks to those on the sidelines of matches on the college’s football pitch over the winter months.
A sponsored walk is also in the diary for February, as the team show their commitment with a bracing 12-mile walk from the college to Saltburn Pier and back.
“We have been trying to think of as many ideas as we can to raise the money. We are also reaching out to businesses in the hope they might be able to offer their support,” said public services student, John.
The 17-year-old from Redcar added: “When we are over there, we want to give a good image of the Teesside area and hopefully any organisations that help us will be a big part of that.”
