Participation in the 'Coaching, Teaching, and Transformative Learning' course inherently involves engagement with the Broader Mind Course—an extracurricular, interdisciplinary programme designed to foster personal development and address societal issues such as success and failure, poverty, and sustainability. Upon completion, students will be proficient in facilitating group discussions and mentoring peers, employing classroom facilitation techniques, and assuming leadership roles. Ultimately, they will utilize these skills as guides for the course itself, transitioning from learners to leaders and peer educators.
Students will become ‘guides’ in the Broader Mind Course, supervising a group of 20 students for a period of four months. The guide is a unique figure, as both learner and leader within an academic setting. Guides, being close in academic experience to their learners, bring a level of relatability and approachability to the educational experience, leveraging their proximity to the learners to foster an environment where empathy and shared understanding thrive. The guides, equipped with training in coaching skills and leadership, not only impart knowledge, but also learn by teaching. The coaching aspect ensures a dynamic learning process where they receive concrete feedback and support as they help others learn, creating a nurturing loop of continuous development. Through reflective practice, guides critically evaluate their experiences, leading to transformative, personal insights.
Due to the time-intensive nature of this trajectory, and the responsibilities involved, participants receive a financial remuneration of €1,330, which is distributed as €190 per month over an seven-month period.