Since 2004, we have facilitated over 78,000 social entrepreneurs and third sector leaders to help create fairer communities with equitable access to opportunities.
We believe that social entrepreneurs play an essential role in changing the world. In our programmes, we strive to transform how you perceive yourself as a leader as well as the world around you as a catalyst for real positive change.
1. With and from peers:
One of the most powerful things that we can offer learners is a space to come together, share experiences, offer support, explore ideas and learn with and from each other. And for this process to be facilitated by practitioners – people who have been (or currently are) in similar situations, faced similar challenges, and worked in similar environments.
2. Experiential and reflective:
We believe people learn best when learning from experience. That experience could be something the learner has done and experienced in the past or it could be a live experience that is facilitated as part of the programme. Either way, we support learners to reflect and make sense of that experience in order to learn and make plans for next steps. This process follows the Kolb Learning Cycle.
3. In a safe supportive environment
It is critical that learners feel they can be open and honest with their peers. There needs to be mutual respect and trust. Creating a safe and supportive learning environment is key to this. Our methodology supports learners to connect and build a trusting supportive network of likeminded people.
4. Responsive to context and practice
Being responsive and flexible in our delivery to meet the needs to learners and helping them apply their learning to their own context is something that makes Academy programmes different to many courses and workshops.
The Academy’s methodology has proven to and ultimately seeks to effect Transformational or Triple Loop Learning. Transformational learning is learning that results in a fundamental shift in our worldview, which in turn leads to profound changes in our thoughts, feelings and actions. It is a shift of perception and consciousness that dramatically and permanently alters our way of being in the world. Transformational learning thus affects our understanding of ourselves, our relationships with other people and the wider world, the priorities we hold, and our sense of purpose and direction.
