Training for students appears to be great success
- Method wakes up interests of other universities of applied science.
- Coordinator Pim Hoek: “The results are very positive.
The ‘Ambulatorium’, that offers help to students who have difficulties with studying, wakes up much interest both within and outside of Windesheim. The Executive Board and the directors will soon discuss if it may extend their activities. The Ambulatorium, a division of the Teacher Education in Physical Education (calo), offers internship posts where students and teachers work with demands from people with a certain vulnerability. Coordinator Pim Hoek: “You could think of projects for refugees, elderly people, mentally handicapped, youth who are close to getting into trouble and so on. Besides, we want to teach how you can use movement and the recognition of body signals to deal with problems. It has actually existed for twelve years, but in the last one and a half years I have been the coordinator, the number of students who have come here for an internship placement has grown from around 25 to 60. The demand from outside keeps increasing. We have the luxury of receiving more demands than we have students.”
Fifteen teachers and interns are working there momentarily, from the study programmes Psychomotor Therapy and Sports and Physical Exercise. Students from different minors are working there as well. But the Ambulatorium is also active within Windesheim. Hoek: “For several years we have been offering training for students who are at risk of falling off course. Two years ago, we were asked if we could expand our services. We are talking about trainings for students with a functional disability. We focused on problems with planning, communicative skills and how to deal with stress. Last year we trained 45 students, this year it will be 90. Last year’s evaluation was very positive. And the demands are obviously growing.”
The approach of the Ambulatorium also wakes up much interest. Staff members from Stenden, the HAN and NHL visited the school to observe how Windesheim organizes it all. Hoek: “We are proud that we have helped with the fact that Windesheim, although it used to be 2nd place, is now first place when it comes to the training of these students.” Hoek hopes that he can continue these trainings for the coming years and that he can even further improve the supply.
On October 25th this will be decided by the Executive Board and the Division Directors. Last week, the Executive Board stated that they needed to become more penny-pinching the next several years. Hoek: “But we absolutely believe this priceless project will be carried on.”
