The Godparent Project

Main idea

Outline

Each year, three students from the Educational Bachelor Secondary Education at Artevelde University of Applied Sciences (AUAS) encourage senior students to take a (couple of) first year student(s) under their wing and advertise this project to first year students. Those who are interested are matched-up to form pairs. Since there are more new students looking for guidance by a senior student, than there are senior students willing to offer it, one senior student often takes multiple first-year students under their wing.

When it comes to matching pairs, it’s important to keep in mind that students in this study programme have a lot of options when choosing which courses they want to teach in the future. The organizers try to make sure that both parties share at least one of these courses.

When the pairs have been formed, there’s an event where everyone can get to know their buddy. From there on, it’s all up to them to decide when and how to meet up and how they will stay in touch. Throughout the year, the organizers and participants keep the project going by, for example, electing a godparent of the month.

Length and timing
The students who organize this initiative start advertising this project during the induction week. The project is active throughout the whole academic year. This does not mean that all pairs keep in touch throughout the whole year, though.

Group size
Each year, around 150 students partake in this project. One senior student can take 1 to 3 first-year student(s) under their wing.

Organized by
Three students can help organize this project as an elective internship during their third year. By making it part of the curriculum for these students, they don’t have to do it on top of their daily schoolwork.

The students organizing this initiative, are in charge of:

• advertising the project during the induction week;
• encouraging senior students to take a (couple of) first year student(s) under their wing;
• matching senior students with new students;
• training and coaching senior students;
• organizing the first meet-up between senior students and starting students;
• supervising the project throughout the year;
• evaluating the project;
• etc.

Goals

• Encourage student engagement
• Improve study progress

Students involvement

• Three students organize this project as an elective internship during their third year.
• Senior students are involved as guides for the first-year students.

Success criteria

• By making this project part of the curriculum for the students organizing it, they can spend more time and energy in making sure it runs smoothly.
• Senior students mention that they are happy to be trusted with the responsibility, they feel valued and have made meaningful connections through their participation.
• First-year students mention being happy with the opportunity to ask a senior student for advice.

Points of attention

• Due to the voluntary nature of this project, there’s no way to make sure that students receive the guidance they need from senior students.
• It’s important that senior students have basic knowledge about effective coaching and the support available at AUAS, but since they are volunteers, you can’t demand of them that they participate in training sessions.
• Currently, the official communication about this project is tied to the gender binary and religion (e.g., the use of terms like godmother- and godfather). Students and staff have not yet found an alternative.

Do you feel you can effectively provide the support that students require?

Would you recommend this to other institutions?

strongly agree

Evaluation

The organizers evaluate this project each year.

Results
While the project isn’t formally evaluated with participants, their positive feedback does reach the organizers.

Senior students mention that they:

• are happy to be trusted with the responsibility;
• feel valued;
• have made meaningful connections through their participation.

First-year students mention being happy with the opportunity to ask a senior student for advice.

Communication

• Most participants hear about this project from the students who advertise and organize it or from lecturers.
• This project is mentioned on AUAS’ online platform (Mijn Dinar).
• The project is mentioned in the newsletter.

Timing

The students who organize this initiative start advertising this project during the induction week. The project is active throughout the whole academic year. Ideally, pairs stay in touch throughout the whole year or even longer.

Resources

To run this project, you need:

• student volunteers;
• a staff member to supervise the project;
• embeddedness in the curriculum as an elective internship;
• three interns who are also students at the institution;
• a small budget for the first meet-up event and a small gift.

Transferability

We think it is easily transferable to other contexts or groups.

Is it easily transferable to other contexts/groups?
It’s easily transferable as long as you have a staff member who has the time and motivation to supervise it.