Activate by Stuyfplekmethodology

De Stuyverij is a social enterprise which offers education, networks and spaces to people to make it possible for them to work on personal development and social entrepreneurship in a safe environment. The project has its roots in Kortrijk but has in the meantime become an active incubator at home and abroad. It offers multiple initiatives for and by families. The platform for rotational day care ‘Cokido’ is probably the best known initiative. It has grown to include 40 autonomous groups across Flanders.

Lecturer and researcher Joris Dewispelaere already researched the vision, the mission and the methodologies of De Stuyverij. In this follow-up research we will look more closely into and upscale the Stuyfplek methodologies with our partners (see below).

What is a 'Stuyfplek'? 

A Stuyfplek is a safe space where people can actively search for new opportunities for personal and professional growth. (Vulnerable) citizens in search of fulfilment and balance are given access to a place where people strengthen each other and as a result can seize new chances. A Stuyfplek connects the experience, resources, expertise, needs and ambitions of all participants and promotes growth trajectories supported by an enterprising community. People are free to participate in labs and work on developing growth on a peer-to-peer basis. In addition to these labs, there is a lot of room for growth and experimentation. The Stuyfplek facilitator learns participants, through practical bottom-up methodologies, to learn from and to offer support to each other.

Goal of the research project

We want to make the existing Stuyfplek locations – in Roeselare and Kortrijk – more accessible to every citizen in the region of West Flanders who struggles to find any meaningfulness in society, and/or struggles to enter the labour market because of psychological, mental or physical vulnerability. People, for instance, like the long-term unemployed, refugees, people with disabilities, homeless people, people who suffer a burn-out,… We want to actively break down barriers to social participation and increase the inflow of these people, the collaboration with referrers from local networks and to give access to the existing options in job placement service and/or entrepreneurship.

We want to achieve this goal by expanding the target group of the existing Stuyfplek locations. The larger the heterogeneity of the target group and the partners, the more growth opportunities a Stuyfplek can offer to participants.   

Time schedule

•  January-February 2020: start intake-meeting participants of growth trajectories
• January: start network partners; mapping per Stuyfplek location
• June-September: mid-term measurement of impact on participants
• November-December: mid-term measurement of impact on network partners per Stuyfplek location
• November: last intake of participants of year programmes
• December 2020-February 2021: start final measurement of participants of year programmes
• October-November 2021: last final measurements of participants of year programmes
• End of November 2021: concluding measurement of impact on organisational level

Timing

October 2019-December 2021

Who is who?

Researcher: Bo Fagardo

Promotor: Joris Dewispelaere

Partners

European Social Fund (ESF)
In collaboration with De Stuyverij vzw, VOC Opstap vzw, VDAB, Blenders vzw, Starterslabo, SMART Coop and Sociale innovatiefabriek.