SERVICE LEARNING
Last year, several international students from our Brussels campus put their talents to work for ToekomstAteliersDelAvenir (TADA – see also elsewhere in this edition). The organisation offers Brussels youth from socially vulnerable backgrounds access to a network of professionals who support them through intensive coaching. Through hands‑on workshops, the young participants discover both themselves and the world around them.
Tada Alumni, with FEB students Aya and Andrey on the right
As part of the course Service-Learning and Social Entrepreneurship, taught by Professor Ingrid Molderez, our students designed a project for TADA alumni aged 16 and older. Service Learning is an educational approach in which students engage with a community, reflect on their experiences, and grow academically, socially, and personally. Aya Almaniyazova (Kazakhstan), Benaika Dhermesh Kana (South Africa), and Andrey Shaposhnikov (Russia) look back.
From the very beginning, they received plenty of freedom. “We immediately knew we wanted to focus on job shadowing and discovering career paths,” Aya explains. “We wanted to reach young people who have less access to inspiring learning and working environments.” This led them to TADA, which enthusiastically joined the conversation and connected them with a group of highly motivated alumni.
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Service-Learning was one of the few courses without a strict framework. You learn to negotiate, organise, improvise — things no textbook can teach you.
Andrey Shaposhnikov, student
Visit to Microsoft: ‘Challenging Our Assumptions’
The highlight of the project was a visit to Microsoft. The teenagers were given a guided tour, took part in an HR panel sharing application and interview tips, and spoke with interns who explained how they found their place within the company.
“We wanted the young people to recognise themselves in the people they met,” Aya says. “That’s why we deliberately selected speakers with diverse backgrounds, ages, and roles.”
The group also discovered how Minecraft Education fosters creative and analytical learning. The students were amazed by the participants’ prior knowledge. Benaika recalls: “They knew far more than we expected about programming and AI. It really challenged our own assumptions.” Aya adds: “They engaged in technical discussions with Microsoft employees that genuinely impressed us.”
Learning by Doing
An impressive 71% of the registered participants attended the visit — a high turnout. Their feedback was unanimously positive: they felt welcome, heard, and inspired. For many, the experience made clear that a company like Microsoft doesn’t have to remain a distant dream. Microsoft also expressed interest in supporting TADA in the future, immediately fulfilling the students’ second objective.
The project was equally enriching for the students themselves. Planning issues and unexpected twists made the experience very realistic. “Everything that could go wrong did go wrong,” Benaika says with a smile. “But that’s how we learned what it means to take responsibility.”
Andrey emphasises the value of autonomy: “It was one of the few courses without a strict framework. You learn to negotiate, organise, improvise — things no textbook can teach you.” Aya discovered how crucial an active approach is: “Young people from vulnerable backgrounds don’t automatically run toward opportunities. You really need to convince and motivate them.”
For some, the project even influenced their career direction. Benaika is now completing an internship in the impact sector, where the knowledge she gained is proving extremely useful. Andrey and Aya describe the initiative as “one of the most meaningful projects” of their bachelor’s programme.
Els Brouwers