The ambassador concept is a method/mechanism to train interested people to become experts and to enable them as multipliers to spread knowledge. The goal of the concept is to create structures that enable the independent and sustainable dissemination of specific knowledge.
Finding challenges. Helping students and citizens work together. Creating sustainable social impact actions.
15 min / 45 min
The ambassador concept is a powerful tool to connect student with citizens and unite them with a shared change vision. It can be used in the design phase of the lecturers can use the ambassador concept in the reflection phase to further spread the ideas created by the students.
Lecturers and Students, Citizens
Best done in hybrid format, tools which facilitate online meetings and the delivery of online training would be useful
1 Choose a topic that you would like to promote within the community or city, such as promoting healthy lifestyles.
2 Along with your students, recruit citizens of the community who are interested in a variety of topics related to your chosen topic. They many be already active in these areas (privately or professionally) and are interested in passing on information to other citizens. Good recruitment opportunities include community action days, self-initiated information evenings, health days, local press, but also targeting local health care providers.
3 Develop trainings that you want to conduct with your students and the other interested parties. Prepare materials for the workshops and seminars. In addition to content related information, think about soft skill exercises for the participants.
4 Meet for an open exchange with your students and the interested citizens. Present your main topics (e.g. nutrition or stress management) and raise awareness for the relevance of the topics. Depending on the topic, it might be helpful to bring in another academic or industry expert. Take information and suggestions on existing actions, structures and qualifications.
5 Train the ambassadors. Through several weeks of seminars and workshops, concrete content and methods are taught to motivate students and citizens for the selected topic (e.g. a health-promoting lifestyle) and support them in changing their behavior and passing on the knowledge. The Ambassador concept/method could also be used in a peer learning process, where one group of digital social impact ambassadors providing training to the next.
