Better Society Academy Learn-Connect-Co-create

An immersive learning experience for social changemakers.

image

Programme

The Better Society Academy offers three-day in-person learning sessions – masterclasses – aimed at better equipping social changemakers to make their initiatives for social change successful.

The masterclasses include sessions with interesting and prominent coaches and guest speakers, are led by experienced facilitators, and are highly practice-oriented (20% theory and 80% practice). Each session offers the following:

  • Learning
    Working on self-awareness, adaptability, resilience, and leadership skills through specific training modules (personal effectiveness).

  • Connecting
    Meeting other changemakers with diverse cultural and professional backgrounds and developing new personal relationships and business partnerships (network, social capital, and funding).

  • Co-creating
    Collaborating with other participants in solving real-life cases using design thinking, and in doing so, discovering creative approaches and solutions (innovation).

image

Target Group

The Foundation aims to strengthen and accelerate initiatives focused on social change through this programme.

To achieve this, intensive thematic multi-day learning sessions are offered free of charge to the new generation of ‘social changemakers’ who need a helping hand and cannot finance this themselves. The selected changemakers can come from various backgrounds.

They may hold positions in NGO’s or socially-conscious enterprises, identify as activists or socially-engaged academics, own social enterprises, or work independently on societal issues. Despite their ideas and passion, they represent a significant untapped potential for social change due to a lack of financial resources, knowledge, experience, network, or influence.

Selection Criteria

The Foundation will select social changemakers who already have an interesting profile but could benefit from support in shaping, launching, developing, or scaling their social initiatives. The following criteria and principles, among others, are applied:

  • A promising track record consisting of concrete initiatives to initiate or promote social change.

  • An inspiring personality and leadership qualities.

  • A solid (initial) understanding of the causes and potential solutions to the societal issue they are focused on; a change model.

  • A seemingly strong and replicable idea to address a significant societal challenge.

  • The need to develop an ambitious plan or improve an existing one.

  • A startup organisation or one with growth potential.

  • Signs of support from their environment.

  • A clear understanding of the support they need to progress; a clear request for help.

  • Willingness to learn, share ideas, knowledge, and experience with others, and to collaborate.

Each masterclass focuses on a concrete, large, urgent, and complex societal issue relevant for specific communities of changemakers, for example:

  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Co-creating an equitable & inclusive society

  • Sustainability: Rethinking strategies to amplify your impact

  • Refugee Management: Reshaping the way we support and integrate refugees into society

  • Arts and Cultural Management: Artists and cultural entrepreneurs for social change

The next edition:
Masterclass: New Economy.
Glasgow 24-28 March 2025

The first editions of the Better Society Academy were hosted in Amsterdam in 2023 and Vienna in 2024. Both masterclasses were designed for changemakers in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with a focus on enhancing partnership and collaboration skills. Learn more about upcoming and past editions here.