We designed and accompanied the unique approach of ‘DE Onderwijsbeweging’, in which teachers, pupils, parents, team leaders, head of departments and other stakeholders of a Dutch secondary school develop innovative education together. Their main goal is more motivation, self-development and ownership of students.

Starting with the question ‘How to age happily’ Kennisland collected forty stories from people living and working in and around the elderly care centre De Buitenhof in the Amsterdam district of Buitenveldert. Based on these stories we designed a vision for the future that acknowledges local and urban developments in housing and care. This vision will be developed into a grand plan for overhaul of this facility.

With coaching, a toolkit, webinars and a three-day academy full of workshops, we supported social innovators in the European Social Innovation Competition for the sixth time in a row. In 2018, the competition was focused on increasing opportunities for young people on the local labour market in a changing economy. Check out the toolkit that we developed together with Nesta and read more about the four winners of 2018.

With the campaign jijmaakthetonderwijs.nl (‘you shape education’) we articulated and shared knowledge and insights of ten years of pioneering with teachers. The inspiring stories were distributed as a hard-copy newspaper among most schools in the Netherlands. The online publication was read by thousands of visitors. The visibility of the impact of the Pioneer programme helped to put the relevance of the LerarenOntwikkelFonds (‘TeacherDevelopmentFund’) on the national political agenda.

At the end of 2018 we ended our activities in the areas of copyright and digital cultural heritage. Kennisland had been working on these themes for over a decade. Read what we have contributed to open access, open content and the modernisation of copyright in the Netherlands and Europe.

In 2018 KL (together with the universities of Utrecht and Antwerp) developed the fifth edition of ‘Leiderschap in Cultuur’ (Leadership in Culture), the learning programme for and by leaders in the cultural sector. This time in the Netherlands and Flanders. The cultural professionals explore and collaborate on diversity, new financing systems, regional cooperation and a better position on the labour market, for a vital, decisive and financially healthy cultural sector.

For eight months we have worked with 36 initiatives in the field of health and talent development to strengthen their impact. Moreover, we investigated the co-operation between them and the municipal administration, and how it can be most successful. With the visit of King Willem-Alexander and a special debate with party leaders before the local elections, we concluded the first edition of Amsterdammers, Make Your City!.

Kennisland worked with carers, elderly and their families to implement new technology in elderly home Prins Hendrik in Egmond aan Zee. This led to better understanding of an effective process and approach, and less routine checks for employees. And besides, a stronger sense of safety and freedom and better nights for people with Alzheimer’s. 

As part of the project ‘Stad als leeromgeving’ (City as a learning environment) for ‘City Deal Kennis Maken’ (City Deal on Education), Kennisland brought together students, teachers, researchers, civil servants and managers to exchange knowledge about working together on solving complex urban issues. In interviews (in Dutch) with those involved we share the most important lessons.

Next year, we will challenge Hong Kong teachers for the third time to develop into an innovator in education. This way, we stimulate the growing movement of innovative teachers in Hong Kong and create time and space for innovative approaches that are better connected with the perception of pupils and teachers.

With the publication Open Overheid: Aardgasvrije wijken (Open Government: Natural gas-free neighbourhoods) and with joining Amsterdam Smart City (ASC), we apply our experience to one of the most pressing issues of this century: the energy transition. Within ASC we work with the municipality and companies on how residents can be involved in a smart way.

Since the beginning of the third cohort of participants, the community of teachers that work on innovation of education in Rotterdam has been even more expanded and strengthened. Broedplaats010 makes teachership more attractive, increases teacher leadership of the participants and leads to meaningful innovation of education. In Amsterdam, the first edition of Broedplaats020 was launched.