Christa “lives” action research and supports SevenSenses in its ambition to introduce as many people as possible to its power. She has gone through her own learning process and gained extensive experience in setting up, conducting, and coaching action research projects, including as a lecturer at universities of applied sciences. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and expertise to support SevenSenses’ mission and vision.
In the latest years of her career, she has focused specifically, as a freelancer, on ecological neighborhood projects and building local communities. She wants people to experience, within their own surroundings, that they depend on nature and on one another, so that they take responsibility for this. In her view, this is essential for a hopeful future.
Christa is sometimes told that her resume is too long, which she considers a great compliment. For over forty years, she has dedicated herself wholeheartedly to her profession, particularly to the professional development of educators and social workers. She has always had a methodological interest in this work. She combines aspects of design thinking, action learning, open space, and systemic work, among others, in her action research.
The basic principles of PAR are the same, but beyond that, everything is always different. The most beautiful moment in an action research project is when people realize that reality is much more colorful than they first thought. This happens by hearing other stories and taking the time to look from different perspectives and to navigate together through the crisis of not knowing for sure. That makes it endlessly interesting.
In her free time, Christa volunteers as a caregiver, works as a volunteer at a sustainable community center in The Hague, and serves as board chair of the Volksuniversiteit. She paints and writes. She also gets her hands dirty in a local community garden.