Engaging societal partners is essential for developing Impact-driven education. What should this partnership look like? This guide explores key values to consider when collaborating with societal partners. By embracing these values, educators can build stronger connections that foster transformative learning experiences for students and create a positive impact in the community.
The values discussed in this guide provide a direction and framework for establishing relationships with societal partners and are not meant to be implemented in a binary manner. How and to what extent each value is integrated will depend on the specific context of your course, the nature of your partnership and the available resources.
Guiding values
- Relevance: Design projects and initiatives that directly respond to the needs and priorities identified by societal partners and communities. Engage in meaningful dialogue to understand their pressing concerns, ensuring that the work undertaken by students is aligned with what is perceived as important and valuable by the partners and community. This can mean going beyond how the problem is initially presented, digging deeper towards the root cause of the issue at hand.
- Meaningfulness: Strive for student contributions that hold value and create a positive impact within the community. It entails projects and initiatives that result in tangible contributions, addressing felt concerns. The value lies in the significance and positive difference made, recognized and appreciated by the community members benefiting from the students' efforts. Pay special attention to how your students will disseminate their solution or results, using a language and a channel that will maximize the usability of their contribution.
Reciprocity: Foster an environment of equitable and mutual exchange, valuing the unique contributions of both students and societal partners to the success of the project. This means that all parties, including teachers, students and societal partners, are accountable for their actions with one another and should comply with the agreed responsibilities and roles. Mutual respect and reliability will be a strong base for a relationship with the societal partner that goes beyond transactional engagement and embodies a spirit of cooperation and shared learning.
- Empowerment and Capacity Building: Support societal partners in building their capacity, enhancing their skills, and accessing resources that will help them to successfully implement the co-created solutions after the project ends, and in an independent manner. .
- Humbleness: Embrace curiosity and recognize the limitations of our knowledge and perspective. Approach relationships with societal partners as a learning community, valuing diverse sources of knowledge. Avoid superiority or savior complex, fostering mutual learning and growth. Cultivate humble relationships, respecting the autonomy of partners and communities, acknowledging their agency to decide and act according to their perspectives and priorities. Foster collaborative environments that encourage shared learning and growth while embracing diverse approaches.
- Cultural Sensitivity: Foster an inclusive and respectful environment that appreciates different cultural backgrounds and makes everyone feel welcomed and valued, considering race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status and/or physical disability. Challenge stereotypes and biases, recognizing the immense value of collaborating with people with different perspectives, experiences, and knowledge. Communicate in a way that is accessible and inclusive for everyone, regardless of their background or prior knowledge.
- Collaboration and Co-creation: Prioritize collaborative decision-making and the co-creation of knowledge and solutions. Engage both students and societal partners in setting goals, designing projects, and evaluating outcomes, fostering a sense of shared ownership and accountability for collaborative efforts. This means leveraging opportunities for check-ups between students and societal partners throughout the project, where feedback can be received and integrated. This contributes to arriving at the end of the process with a solution that is meaningful and makes sense to both the students and societal partners.
- Sustainable Relationships: Aim to foster long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships that extend beyond individual projects or courses. Encourage ongoing collaboration between students and societal partners, striving to create a lasting impact that extends beyond temporary engagements. Work towards building relationships that endure and foster continued collaboration. For example, you can use your network to connect your societal partner with other relevant organizations, building learning communities around key themes.
- Transparency and Fairness: Maintain clear and open communication channels, providing all stakeholders with comprehensive information about goals, processes, and outcomes. Mitigate power imbalances and prioritise equitable participation and decision-making. Uphold ethical standards, ensuring informed consent and addressing potential risks and responsibilities transparently. Recognize the ethical implications of actions and decisions, ensuring that the partnership is guided by integrity, trust and a commitment to doing what is right for all involved parties.
Implementing these guiding values
Moving forward, implementing these guiding values in your partnerships with societal partners will contribute to the development of impactful relationships and transformative learning experiences. Here are some next steps to consider:
- Adapt the values to your context: Recognize that the implementation of these values will vary depending on the specific context of your course, the nature of your partnership, and the available resources. Tailor the application of the values to fit the unique needs and dynamics of your educational setting.
- Reflect on your current practices: Take time to continuously assess and re-shape your existing partnerships, evaluating how well they align with the guiding values discussed in this guide. Identify areas where improvements can be made and opportunities for growth.
- Foster open communication: Engage in meaningful dialogue with your societal partners, actively listening to their perspectives, needs, and priorities. Regularly communicate with them to ensure ongoing collaboration and mutual understanding.
- Foster student reflection and engagement: Encourage students to reflect on their experiences working with societal partners, promoting critical thinking and personal growth. Reflection allows students to deepen their understanding of the impact of their actions, consider different perspectives, and identify areas for improvement.
In conclusion, implementing these guiding values in your partnerships with societal partners requires a thoughtful and intentional approach. As an educator, you can shape impactful relationships that enhance learning and create lasting change. Continual reflection, evaluation, and adaptation are key to ensuring effectiveness. By fostering strong connections guided by these values, you contribute to creating a vital learning community that can become a become a force for positive societal change.