Embedding resilience in Higher Education curricula is crucial for student well-being, for holistic development, and for fostering societal engagement in students. In the four-year Bachelor program Global Project and Change Management (GPCM) at Windesheim University of Applied Sciences in Zwolle, the Netherlands, students are trained as project managers and change makers and are required from the get-go to engage both with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Inner Development Goals (IDGs). Practicing resilience is at the heart of the learning journey. The Resiliency Labs (RLs) prepare students not only for academic challenges but also for navigating the complex social, environmental, and economic challenges in a fast-changing world. In this way, the Resiliency Labs are a form of internal support structures that also help to realize the university’s Third Mission.
In the rapidly changing landscape of Higher Education, the concept of resilience has gained increasing significance. As universities embrace their Third Mission, integrating resilience into the curriculum has become essential. This article explores the development and impact of the Resiliency Labs, an initiative designed to build resilience in students, and it reflects on the broader implications for entrepreneurship and engagement in Higher Education.
The Birth of the Resiliency Labs
At GPCM, students are trained to become international project managers and leaders in change, tackling worldwide sustainability (Coppes, 2021). The SDGs and IDGs provide a framework that aligns personal growth and resilience with broader societal challenges, helping students develop the inner capacities needed to contribute meaningfully to sustainable development.
The Resiliency Labs were conceived from a simple yet profound question for the action research that started in 2021: “How can we embed resilience into our curriculum?” This question gained relevance as educators recognized growing pressures faced by students, both personally and academically, along with an increasing prevalence of mental health problems that became apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic (Dopmeijer, 2021). The result was a collaborative exploration, involving students, lecturers, and student counselors, that led to the birth of a series of workshops called the Resiliency Labs.
These workshops, which focus on experiential and diverse ways of learning, aim to increase personal and collective resilience. They are embedded in the Inner Development Learning Journey that runs through all four years of our program. Students choose which workshops they sign up for and the groups are a mix of first- and second-year students. RL workshops vary from martial arts, mindfulness, arts, embodiment, and regenerative agriculture.
A Community-driven Approach
One of the Resiliency Labs’ unique features is its community-driven nature: it is both shaped by the community and it allows for community building. Students are co-creators in the team responsible for the Inner Development Learning Journey, and they are an integral part of the design of the Resiliency Labs each semester. Students, alumni, lecturers, and entrepreneurs all collaborate in the Resiliency Labs, fostering a culture of shared responsibility and peer support. Resilience is not just taught but lived by everyone.
Facing the cold: Students practice resilience with the ice bath challenge.
Transformative Impact
The transformative impact of the Resiliency Labs is best illustrated through the stories of students like Sarah, who overcame academic performance pressure and stress by engaging in art-based workshops. Reflecting on her experience, she shared, “The Resiliency Labs have taught me that I am more than just my grades. I have learned to value my well-being and community support.” In addition to personal growth, the Resiliency Labs have facilitated meaningful connections between students and a strong sense of belonging. Student counsellors see there is more peer support and less individual counselling. Students also demonstrate increased engagement and take more active charge of their own learning.
Key Learnings
Valuable lessons can be drawn from the experience of implementing the Resiliency Labs as a key feature of the Inner Development learning journey each semester. Some key learnings that have emerged from this initiative include:
Coppes, M. “Towards resiliency and reflection in the learning journey of Global Project and Change management-students, highlights from the (action) research.” Sep. – Dec. 2021.
Dopmeijer, J. “Running on Empty: The Impact of Challenging Student Life on Wellbeing and Academic Performance.” 2021.
Read More:
https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda;The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.
https://innerdevelopmentgoals.org;The Inner Development Goals (IDG): a non-profit, open-source initiative committed to fostering inner development towards more sustainable futures.
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images credit: Resiliency Labs