In our work, we often wonder how to get people on board and join ‘our project’. Even when we think we have the perfect solution for something, we get disappointed by the lack of energy within society to make use of it or to join in. The thing is, people most often don’t want to join other people’s projects. They want to join their own projects! Then how do we create a sense of ownership over the project? How can we get full commitment of people to create the movement we (and they) like to achieve?
Participatory Action Research (PAR) is an approach that enables large groups of people to co-create the positive change they wish to achieve. In the PAR Practitioners Program you will learn how you can facilitate this societal movement!
SevenSenses is a growing network of Participatory Action Researchers all over the world. We perform PAR projects in all kinds of different settings on different complex problems (find here our projects). Participatory Action Researchers love their work for the high impact it brings in communities, for how much it empowers people and simply for making people more self-confident, cooperative and happy!
At the same time, there is a growing demand for PAR worldwide, from governmental- as well as non-governmental organizations, to tackle complex problems in numerous different domains. As such, SevenSenses aims to train new enthusiastic professionals in conducting PAR and give them opportunities to work with SevenSenses in PAR-projects of their choice as an independent Participatory Action Researcher.
The Program is designed for everyone interested in facilitating positive change by communities through applying Participatory Action Research.
Wilma van der Vlegel, participant of the PPP 2019/2020, Training & Internship Track:
“Het PPP programma leert je nieuwe onderzoeksvaardigheden die je eigenlijk niet in andere opleidingen krijgt aangeboden. Je leert denken en kijken vanuit andere perspectieven, met name het burgerperspectief en je flexibel aanpassen aan je co-onderzoeker. De training leert je om creatieve methoden te gebruiken bij het verzamelen en analyseren van de data waardoor verrassende oplossingsrichtingen kunnen ontstaan.”
Throughout this PPP you will:
"Madelon's PPP program and Participative Action Research handbook crossed my life path at the right time. For the Master Healthy Aging Professional I was looking for answers to difficult questions within my innovation 'From illness and care to health and behaviour'. answers turned out to be packaged in PAO and with the help of Madelon's knowledge and enthusiasm I was able to find them within the PPP program. Thanks to the PPP I started working as a real Change Agent with Participative Action Research and therewith created my own job."
The PPP contains of a 5-week training and a 12-week internship, starting June 20th 2022. As a participant of our PPP, you can choose whether you want the Training Track -only the 5-week Training- or the Training & Internship Track – the 5-week Training followed by a 12-week internship.
If you finish the Training Track, you will receive the ‘Certificate of Participation’. If you finish the Training & Internship Track, and have shown you have acquired all PAR-competences during your internship, you receive the ‘Certificate of Achievement’. The latter makes you a SEVEN SENSES certified, independent Participatory Action Researcher with which you can join paid SEVEN SENSES projects, in the Netherlands and/or beyond!
During our Training Track, you will learn all about PAR principles, the PAR Cycle, PAR-methodology and the co-creation of solutions with communities, sustainable impact and all that comes along with the PAR process. During these 5 weeks, you will get training each Monday evening and Wednesday all day. After the course, you will be packed with the skills you need to perform a high quality action research that you can apply in numerous different settings!
From September 2022 onwards, you will perform an internship at an organization or community of your choice. You can either organize your own internship or join one of the SevenSenses internship placements if applicable. In a personal pre-program session we will discuss what suits you best and go through the different options. During the internship period, you will have in total six online guidance sessions with the group every two weeks on Monday evenings.
The supporting assignments of the PPP are set up in such a way that it helps you get experience in what you learned during the trainings of the PPP and -for Training & Internship participants- to prepare for your internship.
Friederike Ertmer, participant of the first edition of the PAR Practitioners Program, Training & Internship Track:
“I really enjoyed the PAR course given by Madelon! She knows what she is talking about and lets you explore what PAR means with a good amount of fun, reflection on yourself and your ideas about it, guidance and practice. I’ve learned so much in a short time and was able to put it into practice during my first project right afterwards.”
Any further questions? Check out our FAQ! Is your question not answered? Please contact us via academy@seven-senses.nu or call directly with trainer Madelon Eelderink: 06 39895095.