9/11 students descend on college for summer camp scholarships

STUDENTS from the US whose parents were victims of New York’s 9/11 attacks were set to visit a city college today.

A group of 25 teenagers aged 15 to 18 were due to take part in workshops at Telford College.

They have been selected for the trip through the British Council’s UK 9/11 Scholarships Fund, which seeks to award UK study scholarships to children who lost a parent or had a parent severely injured in the attacks. The students will take part in a summer camp at Telford, which was selected to host the Scottish leg of the programme.

Among the workshops on offer will be a table tennis masterclass session with former Telford student and Nepalese national champion Rita Prajapati.

A welcoming ceremony will take place from 5pm to 7.30pm, at which a special video welcome from First Minister Alex Salmond will be shown.

He said: “Scotland’s unique heritage and culture, combined with the opportunity to see first-hand the excellent educations institutions we have here, will ensure a truly unforgettable experience for these young visitors.”

Julia Weedon, head of international development at Telford, said: “We have put together an exciting programme.”