Migrant Aspiration Programme (MAP)

What is MAP?

The Migrant Aspiration Programme (MAP) is a FREE 4 months online training course created for anyone who has lived experience of migration and the hostile environment. MAP is for people who are looking to lead and make a difference in their community.

They do not need to have experience of leadership or campaigning, but they will have a willingness to commit to the programme and a passion to want to make a difference. They might already be working in an organisation doing this work or they might be a volunteer in the local community. They may also be exploring what leadership looks like for themselves and just need a little guidance to get started.

Our training programme is designed to be shaped to suit the needs of our participants. Once accepted into the programme, we will seek to understand their specific interests early-on, so that we can include relevant information to their context. The sessions will be delivered by Migrants’ Rights Network and will include specialist modules from experts on campaigning, democratic participation and lobbying, storytelling, media training and trustee development.

Participants will be supported by a mentor or peer mentor throughout the programme, as well as a couple of follow-up sessions with their mentor after the programme finishes. We will also help to connect to other people who share the same experience and are working on similar issues.

As part of the programme, we will also be offering participants the opportunity to volunteer with migrant and refugee organisations, and to link them with mentors that we will be recruiting to the programme.


What will the programme involve

This online training programme will take place from April 2022, and will support participants from migrant communities across the UK to create real change. You will be given opportunities to gain the skills needed to become leaders, advocates, and activists for yourself and others in your community. This could include becoming a community organiser, a board member, or taking on another leadership position in your community.


Eligibility

  • You have ‘lived experience’ (first-hand experience) of migration and the immigration system in the UK and would like to use those experiences to shape work being done to help and support migrant communities.
  • You are keen to develop your own potential as a leader.
  • You want to help people who you share similar experiences and communities with to reach their potential.
  • You are aged 18 or over.
  • You are able to commit your time to this programme over a period of four months.
  • You have access to a phone or tablet with a stable data/wifi connection.
  • If access will be an issue for you, do not let this stop you from applying. Please state this in your application and we will identify a way for you to participate if you are selected for this programme. 
  • We are also able to support participants that require a data top-up to participate. If you will require vouchers, please state this in your application.

Skills you will learn

  • How to be self-aware and be an advocate for yourself and the community you represent
  • How to build a campaign and tell your story in the media
  • How to assess your environment and develop solutions to problems that affect your community 
  • How to build your network and work with your community
  • How to be an effective and confident leader
  • How to engage with the democratic process in the UK

Programme schedule

4 months programme from April to July 2022 

Session will be held in between 9am-5pm on weekdays, twice a month

(Details will be updated in January 2022)


To apply

Please complete the application form

If we have a high volume of applicants, we might select the candidates. So, please apply as soon as possible.

If you have any difficulty in filling in the form, you can also send us your application in the form of a video of up to three minutes in which you state your reasons for applying.

For more information, please contact Yuka Ko Matsushima on [email protected] for more information.

Application deadline: Beginning of February

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