The selected projects 

Following an open call last semester, a committee assessed several proposals and selected three teams: 

• Learning and Innovating in Organisations (Educational Sciences) – Nicolette van Halem, Daury Jansen and Bas de Jong 

• Academic Skills (Educational Sciences) – Astrid Buijs 

• Making a Change in Amsterdam (PPLE, elective) – Annemarije Hagen and Martine Beijerman 

Spotlight: Making a Change in Amsterdam 

Katusha Sol, co-coordinator of SIG Impact Learning, explains: “An example of impact learning is the elective Making a Change in Amsterdam. It directly addresses current societal challenges in the city and clearly demonstrates what impact learning looks like in practice.” 

In this course, students work in small teams on interventions for local issues marked by polarisation. They conduct field research, engage with relevant stakeholders and receive guidance from guest lecturers. At the same time, they critically reflect on their work using theoretical concepts. The course concludes with a changemaking campaign aimed at fostering greater connection between divided communities in Amsterdam. 

Learning with and from each other 

During the 2025–2026 academic year, the teams will further develop their educational projects. Over the course of the year, the grant recipients will meet several times to exchange experiences, share progress and inspire one another. In this way, the projects contribute not only to the renewal of individual courses, but also to the wider development of impact learning at the UvA. Co-coordinator Rosanne van Wieringen adds:“Through these courses, students do not only learn about societal challenges – they also discover how they themselves can bring about change.”