Mentorship training for transformative learning through hands-on community-based research linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals

The establishment of the Knowledge for Change (K4C) Global Consortium and the initiation of the Mentor Training Programme (MTP) in 2017 exemplified the Chair’s dedicated efforts to enhance community-based research capacity on a global scale. Through a cascading training model for transformative learning, the K4C Consortium provides a 21-week Mentor Training Programme. Overseen by UNESCO Co-Chairs, the MTP incorporates:

• Online learning activities;
• A two-week, face-to-face, learning residency; and
• A locally conducted field study supervised by a local mentor.

Upon the successful completion of the transformative learning programme, those undergoing the mentorship training receive a certificate jointly issued by the UNESCO Chair, PRIA International Academy (PIA), and the University of Victoria (UVic). Certified K4C mentors are then expected to play a pivotal role in the growth and development of local and regional hubs, contributing to curriculum development, pedagogical enhancement, and the strengthening of research capacities.

With the initiation of the Mentor Training Programme, the first cohort of the K4C Consortium started in 2018, leading to the training of mentors from seven countries around the world. Today, in its ninth cohort of the MTP, the K4C Consortium has spread its wings across 18 countries with 31 hubs. This cost-effective, high-impact model has since trained 160 mentors, who have gone on to create local and regional K4C hubs in countries, such as Canada, Cuba, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda.

Know more about the Chair’s K4C Consortium and K4C Hubs