During the national mbo day of Economy Education Week, some 200 teachers and students got to work on impact entrepreneurship. Spread across three locations - Zadkine, ROC van Amsterdam (college Zuidoost) and Noorderpoort - they tackled the newly signed Manifesto for Future-Based Business and Economics Education. (for the MBO signed by Stan Vloet on behalf of the industry groups in the economic domain of the MBO Council). Together they explored how the four pillars can work out in MBO educational practice.
From manifesto to classroom
Below is a summary of key insights by pillar.
1. Broad insights from the discipline
This pillar revolves around integrating recent economic insights into lessons. In the wrap-up at the end of the day, it was apparent that teachers are eager to explore how they can incorporate as topics Inner Development Goals, circular economy, and impact entrepreneurship into their teaching.
2. Interdisciplinary connection
This pillar revolves around looking at issues across disciplines. A special pillar for the mbo, because economy and entrepreneurship has connections with almost all vocational programs. During the day, we saw exchanges about this in practice: lecturers from the circular fashion course or the chef course explained how they pay attention to sustainability, ensuring that their students can shape the new economy from their future profession.
3. Ethical and critical skills.
This pillar revolves around a focus on developing ethical and critical thinking skills. Almost all participants felt the importance of these skills, but are also looking for the "how. Main learning point in this area: discuss the consequences (both positive and negative) of students' choices, keeping it small, tangible and close to their perceptions. And let students do their own research, to start the conversation from there.
4. Connection to practice and society
This pillar revolves around applying theoretical models to issues from the student's experience. A recognizable pillar for MBO education, which as a vocational education is used to working with and for practice. At the three locations, it was about both bringing in professional practice - for example, through challenged-based learning, hackathons and guest speakers - and looking for professional practice outside the school - through internships and company visits, for example.
Programs at the three locations
ROC of Amsterdam
After a warm welcome at MBO College Southeast, the day began with three inspiring pitches on impact entrepreneurship in various of vocational schools. Successively presented Mascha van Zijverden of the circular fashion course, Dionne van Zijl of the plant-based chef course and Karin Senf and Joost van Blanken who are connected to the 'don't waste me center' in Lelystad. Paulien Klap presented the lesson series consuming (toolkit, teacher's guide). You can find the presentations here.
After this, about 100 students from Amsterdam and Lelystad joined to work in a hackathon on an assignment from Circuleather. The assignment: how can Circuleather better market its circular learning products?
Students discovered through the assignment what costs are saved by using used leather, as well as what it costs to transport and store the used leather. And they thought about marketing: how do we show our sustainable face? It was inspiring for the teachers present to see how a hackathon fleshes out challenged-based learning and how this way of teaching works.
Zadkine
The day at Zadkine began plenary with a panel including Jan Rotmans' Circular Campus. What does it mean to give students not only knowledge and skills, but also a different economic perspective? After that, Stichting Jong Ondernemen organized a College Tour and participants could attend different workshops in 2 workshop rounds:
- Module of the Future Workshop
- Energy Transition Masterclass Workshop
In this workshop, participants went over how the Energy Transition Masterclass lets students discover playfully how economics and sustainability come together. View the presentation. - Educational Innovations
Noorderpoort
The morning at Noorderpoort began with a session on entrepreneurship education led by Daan Oolders. He showed how DC Terra implements entrepreneurship education. He then let participants experience the education for themselves by asking them to set up a product, service or business in 20 minutes.
Then participants were taken into the world of the Inner Development Goals. Participants learned how to use the IDGs to give students a broad view of profit and value.
Check out the photos below for an atmosphere of the day:
