In collaboration with the network of UvA Teaching & Learning Centres (TLC), the Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies (IIS) is organizing a temporary themed café for educators: the Fair, Resilient & Inclusive Societies (FRIS) grant. The FRIS grant gives educators the time and space to develop an educational innovation in line with this theme. Educators Drs Rosanne van Wieringen (Trainer TLC central) and Dr Mieke Lopes Cardozo (Associate Professor of Education and Inclusive Development) guide the now 18 FRIS grant holders. To this end, they created the FRIS café, which took place for the first time on 8 December. Read more about the fresh, innovative and creative approach of the FRIS café below. And what you can get out of it as a FRIS grant holder.

More about the FRIS grant and application

Fresh and innovative

Rosanne and Mieke wanted to organise something different from standard meetings for the grant holders. “We wanted something informal and inspiring, something fresh and innovative, a ‘playground’ for innovative academic education. Something where every participant feels ownership and part of a community. Together with the grant holders, we came up with the FRIS café concept. Every two months, the group meets to informally discuss each other’s projects and experiences. Each time, the FRIS café takes place at a different UvA location while enjoying some snacks and drinks.”

“FRIS grant holders from both the first and second batch, and soon the third batch, are participating. So some participants are further along with their projects than others. Instead of sitting ‘stiffly’ in the same chair for two hours and listening to project pitches, there is space to walk around, look at each other and talk about the projects.”

“The session is started by a grant holder who has signed up in advance to co-create that day’s session. That person is free to fill it. The last FRIS café started with a grounding and relaxing meditation, body scan and a poem, all accompanied by the grant holder himself. The meditation created an atmosphere of connection. Something several participants hope the FRIS cafés will bring them. Of course, there is also room not to participate. It’s up to you as a grant holder.”

Getting further in your process with a creative assignment

For each FRIS café, Rosanne and Mieke design an exercise that can help participants get further in their process. Such as making and discussing reflection posters about the FRIS projects. Participants can thus engage creatively, with coloured pens and post-its, and reflect on the intended project goals, using a reflection framework that is custom-designed. This also allows them to reflect on value-added and personal and professional development areas. Participants ask themselves, “What applies to me or others involved in my project? Why am I doing this, what drives me and why is it important?”

Diverse FRIS projects, positive reactions and lots of enthusiasm and motivation

The FRIS projects are very diverse, according to Rosanne and Mieke. Some of the topics:

Cultivating emotional resilience in students.
Integrating contemplative pedagogical practices into education.
Developing an elective course on disability.
Diversity and inclusion in the classroom.

“Two hours fly by!”, Rosanne and Mieke tell us. The participants’ reactions are enthusiastic and also very diverse:

“I think I found what I was looking for.”
“I now attach more value to what I am doing.”
“Very relaxing to connect with my body, I now know better why I am here and what I am going to do.”
“First time I have done a meditation at university, nice to help and encourage each other, thank you!”
“I suddenly got into a flow and it’s rewarding.”

Mieke and Rosanne feel inspired by the potential of the projects, the community they are building, the togetherness. They are dedicated and eager to guide the group through their process.

Mieke: “I was immediately very enthusiastic when I was approached by the IIS (by Linda de Greef), the TLC (by Mariska Min-Leliveld, head of TLC Central) and the CDO (Machiel Keestra). Whether, because of my research and teaching innovation work, I would be interested in supervising these FRIS grants. Since there was a desire from both these colleagues and myself to pay particular attention to the linked importance of inclusive societies/education in addition to the themes of fair & resilient society, I came up with the proposal not to call these FRS but FRIS grants (where the i stands for inclusive). Interestingly, we also see that a large proportion of FRIS grant applicants focus their project (partly) on this topic of inclusive education (for an inclusive society).”

“My own motivation to shape and contribute to the FRIS community, in the form of the FRIS cafés, mentoring projects and soon a linked research project, is strongly motivated by my interest in the transformative and emancipatory potential of education, both as a system and process of (possible, societal) change. Besides wanting to bring together a diverse group of education innovators for connection and mutual inspiration and learning, I myself draw a lot of inspiration from connecting and collaborating with these colleagues!”