“Young Leonardos" breathe new life into corporate learning
In 2015 the Leonardo – European Corporate Learning Award again distinguishes courageous pioneers in the field of education. Five "Young Leonardos", all in their early 20s to mid 30s, provide new aspects in the considerations of corporate learning with their "success stories": Dr. Thieu Besselink, The Learning Lab (Netherlands), Dale J. Stephens, UnCollege (USA), Teemu Arina, Dicole Ltd. (Finland), Christoph Brosius, Die Hobrechts (Germany), and Claudia Suhov, KIDster (Romania), will receive their awards on 14th September 2015.
“Although people spend most of their lives working and thus learning, and – due to the ever-necessary adjustments in expertise – businesses commit far greater financial resources to “education” than public institutions ever could, corporate learning still remains in the shadows”, Leonardo Secretary Günther M. Szogs recently concluded in an essay. To reposition corporate learning in a social context and to draw attention to "success stories" is therefore the declared aim of the European Awards for Corporate Learning. All five young winners demonstrate such positive examples.
“Wisely Smart": Shape and understand the world
Dr. Thieu Besselink, founder and designer of the Learning Lab – a think tank for learning and social innovation – will be awarded the "Young Leonardo" in the category "Wisely Smart". He sees his "learning laboratory" as a place of research and creativity, where concerted attempts are made to understand the world, to shape it with courage and respect and to make an own contribution. The objective is to train the human creative ability of practical action. “We were very impressed by how you succeeded in making all of your diverse experiences a source for meaningful initiatives to help business people and underprivileged learners alike”, the Leonardo Advisory Board explains its decision to Dr. Besselink.
“Education Hacker": Take your own form of education
The founder of the UnCollege movement, Dale J. Stephens, will be awarded the "Young Leonardo" in the category "Education Hacker". The idea behind the movement is the fact that attending a college or university should not be the only way of becoming successful. The desire to learn and educate yourself comes from intrinsic motivation. Those willing to learn are given alternative sources, forums and workshops in order to acquire beneficial skills. “Your UnCollege concept is not a simple denial of the formal education system, but actually a call to everyone to take full advantage of one’s potential and to co-create a fitting environment for it”, the Leonardo Advisory Board writes in its explanatory letter to Stephens. “It is therefore not surprising that companies try to follow some of your perceptions to actually give team members more authorship of the learning process.”