Lessons learned from the application of the Serendipity Table method for youngsters in the Groningen region.
Groningen team
Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen
Program webinar June 23 2020
• What is the Serendipity Table, concept and goals?
• How can a stakeholder/partner organise the Serendipity Table?
• What does a stakeholder/partner need to facilitate the Serendipity Table?
• What are the experiences with the Serendipity Table the Groningen region so far?
• Perspectives from event organisers
• Perspectives from students
• Perspectives from educational institutions
Perspectives from event organisers
• Valuable addition to the event
• Attracting new audences (parents, friends and relatives
• Succes of the Serendipity Table is having the Serendipity Table, we do not know what has been discussed.
Perspective from the students
• Very strange to share my ideas with strangers
• I liked to be in the mddle of the attention
• Did not know what to expect from the people at the table
• I received useful ideas
• I was very tired that evening
Perspectives from educational institutions
• Good way for student to gather ideas and check ideas
• The training was very useful and fun
• Students indicated that they learned a lot during the training
• Guidance of the younsters by coaches is neccesary for ages till 14
Serendipity Table
• Bringing different kinds of people (younsters) together within the local community and regional area. Thus, (younsters) people can share their ideas expand their network and work on personal skills.
The idea is that people meet and have positive unexpected experiences.
What is the Serendipity Table, concept and goals?
• Relation Competences Entrecom
• Serendipity: the art of finding the unusual, or the pleasantly unexpected by chance or sagacity
• Example Viagra
• Goal is to
• Express ideas
The competence area of the
Serendipity Table
How can a stakeholder/partner organise the Serendipity Table?
• Four parts
• Training the youngsters
• The youngsters host the tables
• Mentoring Coaching of the youngsters
• Facilitating the Serendipity Tables
• Regarding training
• Train the youngsters during a half day training
• Train the coaches/teachers for one day
Training “Becoming a host at the
serendipity table”
The youngsters host the tables
• Select public spaces and events where the younsters can have the table
• Libraries, conferences, community events, school events
• Youngsters host the serendipity table
Mentoring and coaching
Coaches can join the table (younger
students)
Facilitating Serendipity tables
• As part of a larger program (addition)
• Train the trainer programme (1 day)
• Train the coaches (1 day)
• Train the students (4 hours)
• Contact the event organiser
• Invite people
• Inform the guests
• Plan for 15 minutes for one student
• Evaluate with student, coach, trainer en event
• It all started that students were visiting conferences and business meetings. Students and
Youngsters had difficulties connecting with the other participants and had the feeling that they were excluded from the networks and meetings. Others knew each other and were having
conversations while excluding the new comers. As a matter of course some participants had the courtesy to invite the newcomers in a conversation. However in general, the newcomers did not feel very welcome, invited nor included.
Then the idea started to;
(a) create special spaces, and
(b) train the students to be host at the table.
These special spaces are not designated locations and can be created anywhere. It has the
potential to bring different kinds of people (students) together within the local community and regional area. Thus, (students) people can share their ideas expand their network and work on personal skills. The idea is that people meet and have positive unexpected experiences
• Serendipity Table,
• Ideas and opportunities
• Critical Friends
• Critical Friends Method is about challenging, taking control and initiative.
Through the help of Critical Friends students explore future potentialities.
Critical Friends
Serendipity Table
• Entrepreneurship as a competence is defined as the capacity to act upon opportunities and ideas to create value for others. The value created can be social, cultural, or financial
Lesson 1
• The training is very important
• It is new for the younsters, they talk about it at the kitchen table
• They learn to expres their thoughts in (semi public)
• Serendipity
• The art making an unsought finding
• Tell
• Ask people at the table to elaborate and fantasize
• Learn to ask open questions
• Get people involved
