The King’s Edge Summer Skills Programme 2025 is a collection of extracurricular opportunities designed to help you develop key skills, enhance your employability and gain a competitive edge.
There is a range of online and in-person opportunities available, including real-world work experience, creative workshops, and language courses.
The programme is a chance for you to gain hands-on experience in cultural awareness, social justice, technology, the creative industries and more. You’ll build new skills and expand your professional network.
Who can apply?
All current King’s students are eligible to apply for the Summer Skills Programme.
How to apply
To apply for one or more opportunities in the Summer Skills Programme 2025, complete our application form.
Explore our opportunities
Dates, times and time commitments, and opportunity durations may be subject to change. Any changes will be communicated to participants before they confirm their place.
Upskill and Apply
Language and cultural awareness courses
Creative workshops
Our opportunities
Upskill and Apply
These opportunities give you the chance to improve your skills and apply them in real-world scenarios such as jobs, projects or career advancements.
For each opportunity, you’ll commit to an initial period of structured learning where you will find out more about the relevant organisation, and what work and skills are required. You'll then spend time working with the organisation on delivering the work.
Writerz and Scribez: Campaigning for social change through the arts
Writerz and Scribez is an award-winning, Black-led arts organisation that works at the intersection of art, health and equity.
During this programme, you will be:
- developing and executing creative campaigns that challenge exclusionary practices in the arts and health sectors
- crafting compelling narratives and storytelling strategies to advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion
- creating digital and physical campaign materials, including social media content, articles, and visual storytelling.
Key details
- Start date: 2 June 2025.
- End date: 25 July 2025.
- Time commitment: one day a week over eight weeks (approximately 56 hours in total).
- Day: Wednesday.
- Time: flexible.
- Format: hybrid (online and in-person).
- Open to all students.
Experience/skills required
- Essential: creative storytelling, social media and digital marketing, graphic design and research-driven campaign development.
- Strong abilities in communication and collaboration.
- Desirable: experience in event planning, video production and advocacy, with a keen understanding of social justice and community engagement.
Other requirements
- Applicants must be in, or willing to travel to, London.
Additional information
- Location: south-west London.
- Places available: 10.
- King’s Living Bursary financial support available: Yes – up to £400
Colèchi: aGREENculture: Fashion, Farming & Knitwear event series
Colèchi is a research agency and collective actioning sustainable development in the fashion and lifestyle industry.
Colèchi is launching an event series over the summer and autumn of 2025. The series will focus on fashion and farming, as well as the UK knitwear industry, featuring talks, workshops and a public knitting club.
During your time with Colèchi, you will:
- gain hands-on experience in event production, digital campaigns and organisational skills while working in teams
- contribute to curating, producing and promoting a summer event series using digital platforms and social media
- collaborate with partners and sponsors to enhance event experiences and gather insights from activations.
Key details
- Time commitment: 10 hours a week for eight weeks (approximately 80 hours in total).
- Days: every Monday and Tuesday (five hours per day).
- Start date: 9 June 2025.
- End date: 29 July 2025.
- Format: hybrid (online and in-person).
- Open to all students.
- No specific experience/skills required.
Other requirements
- Applicants must be in, or willing to travel to, London.
Additional information
- Location: London.
- Places available: 10-15.
- King’s Living Bursary financial support available: Yes – up to £400
London Citizens: Lead change: Hands-on organising for justice
London Citizens (Citizens UK) is Europe's largest civil society alliance, made up of 200 community institutions. They build people power and take action for social justice and the common good.
In this programme, you will:
- take a leadership role in active campaigns on topics such as migrant justice, fair wages, youth justice or housing
- work with experienced organisers to push for real change
- receive expert training – learn from some of London’s top community organisers in strategy, advocacy and action-planning to become an effective change-maker
- lead real-world actions – mobilise and collaborate with community leaders to influence businesses, institutions or government policies, creating tangible impact.
Key details
- Start date: 2 June 2025.
- End date: 4 July 2025.
- Time commitment: approximately 55 hours in total.
- Week commencing 2 June 2025: two days in-person.
- Week commencing 9 June 2025: two days in-person with one self-directed learning day.
- Flexibility: An opportunity from 16 June 2025 – 4 July 2025 to work in groups, committing around 25 hours towards a Youth Assembly on 4 July 2025.
- Days: various.
- Format: in-person.
- Open to all students.
Experience/skills required:
- creative thinking
- ability to write constructively
- passion for change-making.
Other requirements:
- Applicants must be in, or willing to travel to, London.
Additional information
- Location: central and south London.
- Places available: two groups of 20.
- King’s Living Bursary financial support available: Yes – up to £200
Community Tech Aid: Hands-on experience in operations, impact and tech
Community Tech Aid exists to end digital poverty by providing sustainable access to technology, skills and opportunities to get online.
Some of the experience you’ll gain on this programme includes:
- Supporting operations and logistics: Assist with the device pipeline to ensure smooth service delivery, gaining insight into problem-solving and coordination within a charity.
- Impact monitoring and strategic communications: Analyse data to evaluate programme effectiveness and contribute to marketing and communication efforts
- Technical systems and troubleshooting: Learning about networking, systems management and hardware/software troubleshooting to support technical operations.
Key details
- Start date: 2 June 2025.
- End date: 11 July 2025.
- Time commitment: 10 hours per week over four to six weeks (approximately 40-60 hours in total).
- Days: flexible.
- Format: in-person.
- Open to all students.
Experience/skills required:
- excellent communication skills
- strong digital literacy
- interest in digital inclusion and sustainability.
Other requirements
- Applicants must be in, or willing to travel to, London.
Additional information
- Location: south-west London.
- Places available: 20.
- King’s Living Bursary financial support available: Yes – up to £300
Black Lives in Music: Experiential learning and industry engagement
Black Lives in Music (BLiM) is a Black-led national organisation at the forefront of efforts to address racial inequity in the UK jazz and classical music sectors. Their vision is for an inclusive music community and industry free of racism, prejudice and discrimination, where underserved music creators can reach their full potential.
On this programme, you’ll get to experience:
- Music-making activities: Collaborate with institutional, educational and commercial industry partners to deliver engaging music projects.
- Research and data capture: Help identify and challenge barriers for Black and other minoritised groups in the music industry.
- Impactful contributions: Findings from student-led research will shape reports, governmental policy and social change initiatives.
Key details
Time commitment: two days a week, two to six hours per day for six weeks (flexible) (approximately 36 hours).
- Start date: 2 June 2025.
- End date: 14 July 2025.
- Format: hybrid (online and in-person).
- Open to all students.
Experience/skills required:
- interest in social justice, music and research
- strong communication and teamwork skills
- digital literacy (for social media, data analysis or asset creation roles)
- passion for diversity, inclusion and equitable access to music opportunities.
Additional information
- Location: central-west London.
- Places available: 20.
- King’s Living Bursary financial support available: Yes – up to £300
Language and cultural awareness courses
Language classes are structured programmes designed to help you learn a new language. These classes cover essential language skills such as speaking, listening, reading and writing and often incorporate cultural insights to enhance communication.
Introduction to British Sign Language (BSL)
This course aims to introduce students to the basics of British Sign Language (BSL) and Deaf culture. You will acquire fundamental language skills, such as:
- greeting people
- using numbers, times and dates
- describing the weather, people and activities.
By the end of the course, you will have basic competence in everyday interaction with deaf individuals who use sign language and an understanding of the grammatical structure of BSL.
This course is taught by a member of the Deaf community and includes cultural insights into Deaf culture. The teaching approach focuses on interaction and collaborative work.
Key details
- Time commitment: approximately 17.5 hours in total.
- Class time: one and a half hours per day.
- Homework: 15 minutes per session (two and a half hours non-contact time in total).
- Start date: 2 June.
- End date: 13 June.
- Format: in-person.
- Day and time: every day (excluding weekends) 14.00 – 15.30.
- Open to all students.
- No previous knowledge or experience of BSL required.
Additional information
- Location: King’s College London.
- Places available: 12 students per class.
Discovering Chinese with King’s Language Centre
This course is beginner-friendly and designed to introduce you to Mandarin Chinese and its fascinating culture.
- Explore the history, traditions and culinary delights that make Chinese culture unique.
- Master essential Mandarin vocabulary and phrases, focusing on everyday topics like greetings, self-introductions, occupations and simple conversations.
- Develop a valuable skill set that broadens your cultural understanding and prepares you for a globally connected world.
- Gain a foundational understanding of Chinese language and culture, supporting future academic or professional endeavours in China.
Key details
- Time commitment: 15 hours in total.
- Start date: week commencing 2 June 2025.
- End date: week commencing 21 July 2025.
- Format: hybrid (in-person and online).
- Day and time:
- In-person workshops: Wednesday, 10.30 – 12.00 (one hour and 30 minutes per session, once weekly for two weeks) – three hours in total.
- Online sessions: Wednesday, 10.30 – 12.30 (two hours per session, once weekly for six weeks) – 12 hours in total.
- Open to all students.
Experience/skills required
This class is for total beginners and those who may have had some contact with Chinese or have acquired very basic Mandarin independently but have not learned the language systematically.
Other requirements
Commitment to attendance and a willingness to explore a new language and culture.
Additional information
- Location: King’s College London.
- Places available: 16 students.
Discovering Japanese with King’s Language Centre
This course is beginner-friendly and designed to introduce you to the basics of Japanese language and culture, including traditional paper art – origami.
- Develop essential Japanese vocabulary and phrases for daily conversation, including greetings, self-introduction and basic topics.
- Improve your ability to communicate in practical situations, such as shopping and ordering food.
- Gain a foundational understanding of the Japanese language, supporting future academic or professional endeavours in Japan.
Key details
- Time commitment: 15 hours in total.
- Start date: week commencing 2 June 2025.
- End date: week commencing 21 July 2025.
- Format: hybrid (in-person and online)
- Day and time:
- In-person workshops: Wednesday, 10.30 – 12.00 (one hour and 30 minutes per session, once weekly for two weeks) – three hours in total.
- Online sessions: Wednesday, 10.30 – 12.30 (two hours per session, once weekly for six weeks) – 12 hours in total.
- Open to all students.
Experience/skills required
This class is for total beginners and those who may have had some contact with Japanese or have acquired very basic Japanese independently but have not learned the language systematically.
Other requirements
Commitment to attendance and a willingness to explore a new language and culture.
Additional information
- Location: King’s College London.
- Places available: 16 students.
French (A1 level)
Build foundational French skills by learning the alphabet, days of the week, numbers, nationalities and more. Practise how to greet people, introduce yourself or others, share personal information and express yourself politely.
By the end of the course, you’ll be able to talk about daily activities, understand very simple oral and written texts and comprehend specific information on simple topics.
You will first discover the language at your own pace in an online module and will then practise new material in an online class once a week. The course will conclude with a week of intensive online lessons, featuring interactive activities, games and class discussions.
Key details
- Time commitment: 35 hours in total.
- Five units of independent online learning: approximately 20 hours.
- Live teaching via MS Teams: 15 hours.
- Start date: 2 June 2025.
- End date: 11 July 2025.
- Format: online – combination of independent study and live webinars via MS Teams.
- Week commencing 2 June – 4 July 2025: Friday, 10.00 – 11.00 (one hour per session, five hours in total), supported by independent learning.
- Week commencing 7 July – 11 July 2025: Monday – Friday, 10.00 – 12.00 (two hours per session, 10 hours in total).
- Open to all students.
- No prior knowledge of French is required.
Other requirements
Commitment to attendance and a willingness to explore a new language.
Additional information
Cultural awareness course
How do we truly understand cultures beyond our own? How do our socialisation, values and beliefs shape the way we see the world — and how does the world see us?
In this dynamic and interactive module, students will embark on a journey into the heart of cultural learning.
Through engaging discussions and independent projects, you will develop the skills to critically analyse cultural differences, from everyday customs to deep-seated worldviews. You’ll explore models of intercultural learning, decode cultural patterns and challenge your own perspectives by seeing your culture through others’ eyes.
- Develop intercultural awareness: gain insights into cultural differences, challenge personal assumptions and engage in respectful cross-cultural interactions.
- Practical application: learn real-world strategies to navigate cultural conflicts and communicate effectively across diverse environments.
- Enhance key skills: build analytical thinking, teamwork, adaptability and problem-solving abilities for collaborative work in multinational settings.
Key details
- Time commitment: 12 hours in total.
- Start date: 3 June 2025.
- End date: 26 June 2025.
- Format: online.
- Day and time: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10.00 – 11.30.
- Open to all students.
- No prior experience is required.
Additional information
Creative workshops
Power, influence, change - no time to waste: Co-design sustainable waste solutions for King’s and our local communities
Join a hands-on, fast-paced, online introduction and two-day innovation workshop (known as a ‘Sandpit’) where you'll tackle real sustainability challenges tied to waste and circular economy at King’s.
Collaborate with students from different disciplines, learn from experts in behaviour change and generate creative solutions that could receive funding and real-world support.
Inspired by King’s Behaviour Change Campaign on Waste, this Sandpit invites you to rethink how we reduce, reuse and reimagine waste across campus.
- Develop a creative, actionable idea to tackle a waste or behaviour change challenge at King’s.
- Gain innovation and design thinking skills in a supportive, collaborative environment.
- Pitch your idea for the chance to receive funding and ongoing mentorship.
Key details
- Time commitment:
- Week commencing 2 June 2025: Online workshop 15.00 – 16.30 on 3 June 2025.
- Week commencing 9 June 2025: two full days, 10 and 11 June, 09.30 – 16.30 (in-person workshop).
- Format: Hybrid.
- Open to all King’s students (undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD) from any faculty.
- Opportunity to work with other students you already know - please specify on the form.
Experience/skills required
- None – just curiosity, creativity and a willingness to collaborate.
Other requirements
- Must be available to attend the online introduction and both full days of the workshop.
Additional information
Financial support
Financial support is available for some Upskill and Apply opportunities which require in person engagement to students in receipt of the King’s Living Bursary. Depending on the duration of the opportunities, students in receipt of the King’s Living Bursary can receive up to £400 to support any costs associated with participation e.g. travel to organisation offices, subsistence, depending on the duration of the opportunity e.g. £50 per week.
Recognition
Anyone who participates in and completes a King’s Edge Summer Opportunity will receive official recognition through an Accredible digital badge.
Accredible digital badging is an online platform that allows organisations to create, issue, and manage verifiable digital badges representing individuals' skills and achievements, which can be easily shared on social media, websites, and emails, acting as a visual representation of completed training or certifications that can be verified by anyone with the link; essentially, it's a way to showcase your accomplishments online with a readily accessible, verifiable badge.
This serves as a valuable credential that highlights your engagement and the skills you’ve developed throughout the experience. Your digital badge(s) can be shared with employers to showcase your commitment to personal and professional growth, helping you stand out in applications and interviews. Whether you’re building leadership, communication, or problem-solving skills, this recognition provides a tangible way to demonstrate your achievements beyond the classroom.
As soon as we have confirmed you have completed your opportunity to the required standard, we will generate your digital badge. The latest we will generate digital badges is 31 August 2025.
You will also receive official recognition on your Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) transcript
Contact
If you have any questions, please email us at kings-edge@kcl.ac.uk