Impact-oriented alumni networks like the Bosch Alumni Network aim to contribute to positive social change by supporting members in their capacity as change agents. This represents a radical shift compared to the established philanthropic tradition of creating a foundation-centered hub and spoke systems after providing mainly financial support. Alumni operate in a rapidly changing world and therefore constantly require new skills—which alumni networks can most likely provide if the knowledge of their members can be tapped. This is where peer-to-peer learning comes in.

The merits of peer-to-peer learning formats are manifold: on a personal level, they can empower individuals to learn from each other, facilitate the sharing of tacit knowledge, and provide practical, real-world learning scenarios which help to ensure knowledge retention. At the network level, they can help develop a community of practice by encouraging collaboration, help to establish a culture of continuous learning, and foster a sense of equality by leveling the power imbalance between tutor and learner. This creates a strong bond between peers and allows participants to build trust and relationships based on continually helping and learning from each other.

The Bosch Alumni Network’s immense tacit knowledge base has been available to all its members since its founding in 2017. With many members acting as change agents in their communities, the network has become a resource to learn from the expertise and experience of fellow members. The formats and means to allow for this peer-to-peer learning range from individual support to multi-day trainings, practitioners’ labs, and learning communities.

Creating opportunities for individual learning

In the early days of the network, the focus was on creating opportunities for peer learning at the individual level since building relations between members was the first step in building an impact-oriented network. Many initiatives were therefore organized by the members in a decentralized manner. Additionally, members could apply for institutional support to meet each other—so called Learning Exchange Grants—or for ideas that create new learning opportunities for members.

Many members have already taken advantage of these opportunities and have highlighted in subsequent evaluations the benefits they have gained from the undirected and almost unconditional funding. They have gained insights, skills, connections, and energy that has also flowed back into the network. Especially for a young network, these experiences were important— not only for the participants, but also for the development of the growing network, as these encounters strengthened the bonds between the members.

These and several other formats are still in use today. However, the demand for specific and coordinated learning formats continued to grow.

Developing specific formats and learning groups

Requests for more specific training sessions centered on topics such as resilience, future literacy, or systems change became more frequent. Expertise on these topics was available in the network but a different approach was needed to provide opportunities for such specific and focused learning spaces. In response, centrally organized learning formats were established, such as the face-to-face Academy format or the virtual training course on Systems Change. In parallel, thematic learning communities were established which were hosted and driven by members. For more information on how these have been set up and organized, see “How can a decentralized network ensure engagement and participation?” on the previous pages.

These centrally organized workshops and training courses are organized in close cooperation with external experts and draw on the rich knowledge of network members. They experienced strong development in 2022 and especially in 2023. The following two examples will explain the background, setup, results, and impact of this approach.

Democracy Academy

From September 20-24, 2023, 35 members of the Bosch Alumni Network gathered in northern Italy for a three-day workshop to strengthen their ability to promote and protect democratic values and institutions in their local contexts. The program addressed current challenges to democracy, including populism, polarization, disinformation, and the erosion of democratic norms and institutions.

Participants were experienced change agents in senior positions, united by a shared ambition to strengthen democratic values and institutions in their respective environments and an interest in cross-sectoral and transnational collaboration.

As a hallmark of the Academy format, participants were supported on three levels:

1. Personal level: personal perception of democracy
2. Organizational level: democracy in one’s organization
3. Systemic level: democracy in the political sphere

By participating in the Democracy Academy, participants expanded their expertise on democracy as well as their impact as change makers in their daily and professional lives.

Cities and Migration: 5-days Online Course on Systems Thinking

With more people than ever on the move—some migrating out of choice, many out of necessity—cities are becoming primary destinations for migrants and, increasingly, for refugees and internally displaced people. They are also the places where diversity and mobility are most manifest. At the same time, cities often face constraints on their autonomy, capacity, and agency to leverage social cohesion and to make the most of the many opportunities that migrants and refugees bring.

A holistic perspective is needed to truly understand and embrace the different dimensions of migration as well its intersections with layers of colonial history and other global and local challenges.

“Cities and Migration” was a five-week online course, which looked at the topic from a systemic perspective. The course offered an overview of key concepts and approaches behind systemic practices. It provided opportunities to explore and experiment with methods and tools for understanding the intricate interplay between cities and migration. It was also a chance to reflect with others about key actions that might shape change for the better.

The course brought together 20 members and was unique in that the taught content was co-designed in the first session. This allowed participants to highlight what was most relevant for them, what they wanted to learn most, and what they could contribute themselves.

This article was orginally published in the iac Berlin Activity Report 2023. The entire report is available as free download:

Contact

Do you want to share experiences about peer-to-peer learning. We'll be happy to hear from you.

Lisa Richter
lisa.richter@iac-berlin.org