Guidepost #1: What Is Practicing Changemaking And Why It Matters

What is Practicing Changemaking?

“Passion led us here” photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash.

One of the most fundamental principles of changemaking is intentionality – this means creating learning opportunities that are purposeful rather than performative. Practicing changemaking is the culminating act of thinking, feeling, and doing empathy, teamwork, and leadership. Like learning any new skill, at the heart of being a changemaker – whether as an institution, individual leader, executive, educator, or community partner –  is your practice. And the more you practice, the more progress you will see.

Jim Kwik, an American brain coach, writer, and entrepreneur, shares some of their insights on the power of practice. Take a look!

According to Brabeck et al. (2015), “Deliberate practice involves attention, rehearsal and repetition and leads to new knowledge or skills that can later be developed into more complex knowledge and skills” (para. 2). In other words, practicing changemaking skills will not only develop changemaking competencies, but will also increase the rate with which you, and your learners, process and access these skills (i.e., automaticity). Additionally, the more you intentionally teach, scaffold, and practice changemaking skills, the greater independence learners will gain over time to utilize changemaking skills in increasingly diverse, nuanced, and complex ways. This is equally true for you as an educator. We wholeheartedly understand that the process of practicing will be rife with ambiguity and uncertainty, but we encourage you to stick with it and “embrace the messiness of innovation and change” (Fuessel, 2020, p. 42). Remember that practice does not make perfect, but rather the practice is perfect.

Why Does Practicing Changemaking Matter to Your Learners?

The generation of learners entering post-secondary institutions have different demands and expectations than previous generations. In a 2021 survey, 80% of Canadian post-secondary learners want their educational experience to reflect their digital lifestyle and 69% believe that advanced technology will become classroom staples (KPMG, 2021). Moreover, current post-secondary learners have higher expectations, demands, and standards for socially conscious institutions. The examples below illustrate the innovative ways learners are finding to express their demands and hold institutions accountable to social change. Click on each label below to learn more.

With increasing pressure to address the UN’s SDGs, combat climate change, and embody anti-racist and Indigenization practices and policies, changemaking education offers a promising pathway.