While the COVID-19 pandemic stole my opportunity to travel and learn in traditional methods, it also gave me the chance to work collaboratively, learn new software, communicate, and effectively learn about other cultures on a personal level. In this directed study course, we focused on Social Innovation, especially in relation to the pandemic.

We were assigned groups that were half American and half Dutch, working with honors students from Windesheim in the Netherlands. These students practice Social Innovation concepts on a much deeper level and often, so hearing their perspectives, skills, and deep knowledge on this idea was astounding and helpful. The entire class did not meet synchronously very often, but my group met about once a week for a month to work synchronously on our final project. Coordinating meeting times between the 5 members was a challenge, especially given the time differences, but it was worth being able to hear our colleagues talk to us and teach us. It was the closest we could be to actually being abroad.

Our final project consisted of creating a podcast that explains a social innovation for pandemic life. My group “created” an app specifically designed for college students and their mental health throughout the pandemic. This app would open lines of communication among college students who are local, national, or international and would hopefully provide times of escape, uplifting, and support. The loneliness and fear of the lives the pandemic forced us to have was something all 5 of us could connect through.

Since the class has ended, my communication with our Dutch friends has not stopped. We communicate through messaging and social media often, which is really neat, especially as we move away from the pandemic lifestyle. We mostly discussed our pandemic habits, lives, and rules, so seeing “normal” dutch life through the lens of social media is a new learning experience. The normalcy of the Netherlands was something I was very interested in all along, so when we were asked to interview our Dutch group members, I was thrilled! Below you can find my interview questions and the responses. Most of them are related to the education system, since learning and educating is my “normal.”

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