We live in a society that is changing rapidly and in many areas.
Perhaps you recognize this feeling: you sometimes think about what you could contribute, but at the same time it feels like a drop in the ocean. You're not sure which direction to take. And to be honest, your schedule is packed. You want to make time for your work, your family, relaxation, travel, friends, culture... and rightly so.
And yet something lingers: the ambition to make a difference in society.
What if you could outsource your social ambitions?
To Athena - Open Leercentrum vzw
To WoonderWijs vzw
Every diploma counts
Precarious housing has major consequences
Athena Open Learning Center supports students who are at risk of dropping out and gives them a new opportunity to develop their talents. These are young people who have fallen behind in their studies, are tired of school, or have been temporarily removed from school. A young person without a diploma costs society $1,000,000 over 40 years.
WoonderWijs: Of the 124,000 students waiting for social housing, 12,000 would normally graduate with a diploma. But in practice, 8,000 do not reach that goal — a loss that costs the next generation billions. WoonderWijs is conducting a controlled action research study to test whether affordable, suitable housing solutions give students the mental space they need to succeed.
What does Athena-Open Leercentrum do?
What does WoonderWijs do?
For young people with learning difficulties, we provide tailored after-school support. We guide young people who are tired of school but not tired of learning to the examination board, and we offer subject-specific support and behavioral coaching to young people who have been temporarily removed from school, ensuring meaningful engagement so that they can get back on track.
This mentoring is managed by a small team that can rely on numerous volunteers: teachers, both retired and active, behavioral coaches, biologists, entrepreneurs, etc.
480 pupils from 120 (large) families, all from schools with >90% low SES, are divided into 4 groups. The study will run for 10 years.
- Learning support: This group will have access to an approach similar to High Dosage Tutoring.
- Affordable, suitable housing: This group will be provided with housing that is sufficiently large and affordable for the family
- Both interventions: This group will receive both interventions
- Control group: no intervention (but an incentive with no effect on learning outcomes)
WoonderWijs has a network of learning coaches, a housing team, and a research team.
With customized learning support, we aim to double the number of students with these challenges who succeed.
The study examines the impact of affordable housing, with intensive learning support as a control variable.