A course of the Urban Dynamics Programme at Odisee University of Applied Sciences in Brussels
Text by Shila Anaraki
As part of an exploration into inclusive practices in urban education and social work, a workshop featuring tools from the Integration Otherwise Inspiration Kit was held in March 2025 with students from the course Inclusion in Education and Society of the Urban Dynamics programme, taught by Dr. Mieke Groeninck and Karen Mafrans at Odisee University of Applied Sciences in Brussels.
The class consisted of 13 international Erasmus students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds (future primary and secondary school teachers as well as future social workers) and from countries including Norway, Spain, Ecuador, South Africa, Vietnam, Denmark, and Flanders. During the workshop, the students engaged with the concepts ‘bridging’ (fostering social connection) and ‘brokering’ (mediating access to resources) in the context of migration and integration, as presented in the ReROOT Integration Otherwise Inspiration Kit.
Guest speaker Thamara Cruz Barajas, who works as a ‘bridge figure’ for vzw PIN, introduced her holistic approach to bridging in the context of education and social work. Working with recent newcomers and families in vulnerable situations, she supports their access to education and services through language support and integrated case management.
Following Thamara’s insightful presentation, the Inspiration Kit tools invited participants to reflect on their own biases and assumptions using the tool Identifying Unexpected Barriers to Everyday Life Tasks. Through this exercise, students revisited moments from their past school or work experiences in which someone failed to meet an expectation. They examined the hidden preconditions that may have contributed to these struggles, such as language barriers, unfamiliar rules, unclear instructions, unspoken cultural norms, or difficult life circumstances.
“I realized I had judged someone for being ‘disrespectful’ in class,” one participant reflected. “But maybe they simply didn’t understand the expectations.” Another student noted, “Sometimes it’s the system that makes things difficult, not the person.”
The workshop helped unpack the concepts ‘bridging’ and ‘brokering’ and offered critical insights into the infrastructuring of arrival and integration. For future teachers and social workers, understanding how people navigate arrival infrastructures and learning to recognize underlying, often hidden obstacles, is essential. As one participant concluded: “If we want to be inclusive, we have to start by questioning our own assumptions.”
The class consisted of 13 international Erasmus students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds (future primary and secondary school teachers as well as future social workers) and from countries including Norway, Spain, Ecuador, South Africa, Vietnam, Denmark, and Flanders. During the workshop, the students engaged with the concepts ‘bridging’ (fostering social connection) and ‘brokering’ (mediating access to resources) in the context of migration and integration, as presented in the ReROOT Integration Otherwise Inspiration Kit.
Guest speaker Thamara Cruz Barajas, who works as a ‘bridge figure’ for vzw PIN, introduced her holistic approach to bridging in the context of education and social work. Working with recent newcomers and families in vulnerable situations, she supports their access to education and services through language support and integrated case management.
Following Thamara’s insightful presentation, the Inspiration Kit tools invited participants to reflect on their own biases and assumptions using the tool Identifying Unexpected Barriers to Everyday Life Tasks. Through this exercise, students revisited moments from their past school or work experiences in which someone failed to meet an expectation. They examined the hidden preconditions that may have contributed to these struggles, such as language barriers, unfamiliar rules, unclear instructions, unspoken cultural norms, or difficult life circumstances.
“I realized I had judged someone for being ‘disrespectful’ in class,” one participant reflected. “But maybe they simply didn’t understand the expectations.” Another student noted, “Sometimes it’s the system that makes things difficult, not the person.”
The workshop helped unpack the concepts ‘bridging’ and ‘brokering’ and offered critical insights into the infrastructuring of arrival and integration. For future teachers and social workers, understanding how people navigate arrival infrastructures and learning to recognize underlying, often hidden obstacles, is essential. As one participant concluded: “If we want to be inclusive, we have to start by questioning our own assumptions.”
©Karel Arnaut
