Interdisciplinary holistic approach bringing together a real experience of students professional and transversal skills with an emphasis on values such as contributing to the benefit of the local community and social inclusion.
Within the subject Entrepreneurial Management, the students of Wood Technology Engineering and students of Wood Design are asked to target a person/family/community in need. Some of those cases were: a schoolmate who recently lost both parents and was left with almost no financial means in an unfurnished studio; a family with 3 small children and unemployed parents whose house has burned to the ground in the middle of winter …
When the target is determined and interviewed for their needs and desires, the students are divided into small groups with different tasks and roles. Those groups are in charge of:
- planning the work processes,
- planning the materials needed,
- planning the costs,
- time management,
- workload management,
- deadlines,
- further organisation of work,
- agreeing with local companies to donate them the use of needed machinery,
- collecting donations and/or sponsorships and in-kind materials,
- manufacturing the agreed items,
- quality assurance,
- design,
- …
- finally organising a media promotion of their project,
- organising press conference and community event at the delivery day.
The holistic approach of the teaching staff in order to assure that all processes are professionally monitored and evaluated by the relevant teaching staff.
Good preparation of the teaching staff that have to be convinced in the benefit of such project work and that learning outcomes relevant to their specific professional area are achieved through such a project.
Good time management and adaptation willingness of the teaching staff involved.
Financial resources and needed materials for project outcomes are students’ responsibility.
The students get a true experience why each subject/module of their studies is important for their final outcome and how interconnected all these are in practice. It gives them a holistic picture of their future work.
They become aware that their best friend is usually not the best co-worker as well as what skills and competences are an advantage along all the different processes, tasks and roles that they experience during the project. Moreover, they become aware what are their strengths and weaknesses which will make their further career planning much easier.
Very important is also the social inclusion and educational element building on personal values and as such prioritizing the importance of contributing to common and especially to community benefits and returning to own community once you learn that it is not only money needed but skills professional and soft/transversal ones that might even make a greater impact than financial means.
It is a beautiful example of good practice because of its holistic interdisciplinary approach and the lasting lessons students learn through developing and working on such a project not only professional lessons but maybe even more important the transversal ones (communication, values, teamwork, social inclusion, giving back to local community, …).