Ways to Work Toward Social Change by Practicing Changemaking

Have you ever felt the call-to-action about a topic or issue you feel deeply passionate about, alongside a feeling of overwhelm and uncertainty about where and how to begin? If so, you are not alone! As educators and practitioners, we have felt deeply committed and equally lost when enacting changemaker education inside our courses and learning environments. Along our journeys, we have picked up theoretical frameworks, including those mentioned in the Welcome module of this toolkit, and tools from brilliant practitioners who have carved the path for us. The Social Change Wheel is one of those tools. Take a look at the following video to learn more.

The Social Change Wheel 2.0

Originally developed by Iowa and Minnesota Campus Compact, the Social Change Wheel maps a variety of ways individuals and institutions can contribute to creating real social change within their communities, both on and off campus. Now in its second iteration, the following graphic entitled “the Social Change Wheel” visually displays different ways to work toward social change, including an outer ring and inner ring. (Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact, n.d.)

(Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact, n.d.) Social Wheel of Change 2.0 Image Description [Doc]

Though important, the outer ring will not be our focus. Instead, using the inner ring as a jumping off point, we want to help you think about and reflect on strategies in your work, whether on campus or in community, that can lead to practicing, and therefore enacting, changemaking education. Using the eight categories of the inner circle as our guide, let’s have a look at some examples of how changemaking educators have intentionally carved out opportunities for their learners before opening up space for you to consider how this learning applies to your particular context.

Throughout the next sections you will find a variety of strategies that will support you and your learners practice and enact changemaking. Each example not only weaves together empathy, teamwork, and leadership through the practice of thinking, feeling, and doing, but also work toward one or more of the UN’s 17 SDGs. We have provided a quick visual guide below that maps the 17 SDGs, and you are welcome to revisit the Welcome module for a quick refresher before moving on. At the end of each section, you will have an opportunity to test your knowledge by mapping one or more SDG to the examples provided.

(United Nations, 2012). UN SDG Image Description [Doc]