Vision
The ENOTHE Center of Learning and Exchange (ECOLE), is a liaison between ENOTHE member institutions to build sustainable and culturally relevant high quality OT education, in line with European and world policies. This includes meeting societal needs by advancing Occupational Therapy and Occupational Science knowledge.
Mission statement
ECOLE is a branch unit of the ENOTHE Association and is there to facilitate and support members and other stakeholders, to be active in building up partnerships. These partnerships are used for the development and quality enhancement of Occupational Therapy and Occupational Science education, to address the profession and societal needs across Europe.
Values
Co-creation ECOLE actions are always based on facilitation, encouragement and capacity building, recognising the input of all participants.
It is essential to introduce new initiatives when interacting, balancing and coaching the members and other stakeholders. Thus, the co-creation contains not only a call for participation but also underpins the quality of the involvement based on the active appreciation of all of the voices.
Sharing knowledge and responsiveness ECOLE promotes knowledge generation and shares this with ENOTHE members to meet the specific needs of actual and potential partner European higher education institutions, lecturers /teachers and students. ECOLE acts under the Bologna process and adheres to the TUNING specific competencies, including best practices. The centre responds to contemporary social and health challenges and needs. ECOLE has an active role in undertaking initiatives and can act as a platform that initiates, supports and coordinates different educational activities. It offers opportunities to create, stimulate, facilitate, intensify, and learning together, or ‘learning from each other’ networking between partner institutions and to develop joint initiatives. It creates an extra dimension and gives an added value to participation in the network. ECOLE can initiate these projects according to the needs of ENOTHE member institutions or by individual members.
The core element of ECOLE is an education that promotes the development of the profession. The actions will include:
o Consultancy, preparation and provision of educational resources to university programmes emerging in Europe (including Tuning packages).
o ECOLE acknowledges the importance of supporting the development of the profession in countries where Occupational Therapy is emerging.
o ECOLE provides its members with information on the existing training courses and tools through ENOTHE Interactive Online Operative Platform (e.g., e-learning tools developed by the member schools, information on curricula, examinations).
o Ensure institutions support each other in developing knowledge in developing (new) curriculum and/or specific occupational therapy training modules.
o Ensure institutions are at each other’s side in an advisory capacity.
o ECOLE should provide networking opportunities, advance OT knowledge in all European countries, work together on joint projects, and facilitate student and teacher mobility.
Emerging practice and bridging ECOLE recognises and ensures quality Occupational Therapy and Occupational Science education. This quality is based on professional, interdisciplinary, intercultural, international, and innovative OT practices.
ECOLE has an active role in introducing and promoting innovative practices and introducing innovative educational methods.
ECOLE provides:
o A pool of counsellors involved in occupational therapy training to facilitate new and further developments.
o Innovative projects of partner institutions or partner countries using a capacity building, exchange of expertise, or quality assurance actions.
Partners can initiate the projects, or the centre can have an active role in creating new projects, courses and train-the-trainer programmes, etc.
Context specific ECOLE is firmly committed to supporting capacity-building strategies with a high focus on cultural relevance and sensitiveness to the local contexts, promoting fair participation of all members and partner institutions. The capacity-building activities should ensure open, non-discriminatory, ethically-based, accessible and just relationships and partnerships.
The co-creation also means the capacity-building strategies with a high focus on cultural relevance and sensitiveness to the local contexts, promoting fair participation of all members and partner institutions. The programmes are developed considering the universities’ unique contexts, teachers, students, clients, and society.
Accessibility ECOLE respects and supports development based on the local needs, providing accessibility of knowledge related to health and social environment.
Accessible to educators, researchers, students, and clients from diverse contexts and with different needs. The capacity-building activities should ensure open, non-discriminatory, ethically-based, accessible, just relationships and partnerships. ECOLE strives for inclusiveness in its activities.
Sustainability ECOLE is strongly committed to contributing to current EU policies, the rehabilitation goals stated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.
ECOLE strives for quality enhancement of the profession in Europe. The activities should focus on the development of teachers and future occupational therapists (students). The activities should enhance the sustainability of the profession and increase the participation of clients in a meaningful life.
Effective partnering, reciprocity and user oriented
ECOLE invites effective partnerships with other similar networks, client organisations, associations, foundations, companies, and institutions that are open to collaborate, support, and respect its values and goals.
ECOLE ensures different stakeholders (universities, client organisations in the first place) are active and participate in promoting occupational therapy and occupational science education.
ECOLE has the mission to be supportive but also to be proactive in introducing and coaching new projects. For ECOLE as part of an international network, it is essential to include values on co-creation and decolonisation in the mission and the goals. ECOLE invites effective partnerships with other similar networks, client organisations, associations, foundations, companies, and institutions that are open to collaborate, support, and respect its values and goals.
