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ÉigenWijsheid Advisory Board

(POLICY) advice on: Out-of-school youth, right to education, school attendance, equal opportunity, and school safety
Send a message to Adviesraad ÉigenWijsheid
Share personal experience
organize (co-organize) congresses
Find, connect & strengthen
Influencing (national) policy
Our approach

What does the ÉigenWijsheid Advisory Board do?

As representatives of homebound youth, we from the ÉigenWijsheid Advisory Board provide solicited and unsolicited advice to everyone involved in education. 

 

In doing so, we are committed, based on our own experiences in the right to education, equal opportunities, and school safety. Because we see that education can be better and believe that it must be better.

Read our 11-point plan
Team- Adviesraad ÉigenWijsheid-bij-jongerenevenement-samen-aan-de-slag-met-inclusief-onderwijs
Adviesraad ÉigenWijsheid tijdens een interview

Share personal experience

Each of us has experienced what it is like to get stuck in the education system. We know the dark side of education, and that is why, based on our own experiences, we try to make clear how important it is to genuinely listen to young people. Because this can save lives!

See who we are

Co-organizing conferences

Meanwhile, we have already spoken at around 100 conferences on education, (youth) care, and youth participation. 

Not only do we gladly provide keynotes and workshops, but we are also happy to collaborate from the very beginning, for instance, during the initial design of conferences and symposia. We also ensure that the youth voice is always given a fully fledged place. In addition, we make these gatherings as engaging as possible for young people, because after all, it is about them.

Contact us
Groepsfoto Adviesraad ÉigenWijsheid
Adviesraad ÉigenWijsheid bij het kennisnetwerk schoolaanwezigheid

Find, connect & strengthen

In the Netherlands, there are a tremendous number of young people who get stuck in the education system. Many people know someone who got stuck in the past or is currently sitting at home without education. Yet, many home-sitters feel like they are on their own. 

 

We offer accessible contact and give young people a voice at the local level. For example at school, within municipalities, or at the collaborative governance organization for inclusive education.

Read our mission

Influencing (national) policy

Besides a positive change in mindset among professionals, further improvement of laws and regulations is urgently needed. That is why we, together with youth organizations such as the LAKS, LBVSO, Voice of the special education student en JongPIT, for politicians to pursue more inclusive and humane policies.

We are also active at the regional level: we help think about better student support and contribute to writing support plans and regional educational agendas for inclusive education.

Go to our media overview
What others are saying about

ÉigenWijsheid Advisory Board

Mariëlle Paul
Mariëlle PaulFormer government minister
By giving a voice to young people who are struggling in the education system, the ÉigenWijsheid Advisory Board helps policymakers and administrators develop appropriate solutions. I found it both very valuable and enjoyable to work with the passionate members of the Advisory Board. They use their own experiences to make a concrete contribution to better policies and education for (truant) young people. I have an incredible amount of respect for the decisiveness and vulnerability they show in doing so!
Laurentien van Oranje
Laurentien of OrangeCo-founder & director Number 5 Foundation
It is an incredible privilege to be able to listen to you. You are extremely unifying and therefore very effective. Above all, keep seeking out sharpness and naming the uncomfortable truth.
Tim van den Berg
Tim van den BergPolicy Officer OCW
In 2023, I was introduced for the first time to the driven young people of the ÉigenWijsheid Advisory Council. Since then, a pleasant collaboration has developed. The young people are professional, act as equal discussion partners, and make a valuable contribution based on their experiential expertise and youth perspective! They do this very well and bridge the gap between the lived experiences of the youth they represent and policy. They achieve this by thinking along at national and regional levels and staying in constant contact with their youth. Their input ensures that policy is not only developed for young people, but is also shaped and supported by and through young people. That is super valuable!
Marianne Wammes-Peek
Marianne Wammes-PeekDirector-Board Member of the Primary Education Partnership and Board Member of ONSwv
It is very special, but above all necessary, how the young people of the ÉigenWijsheid Advisory Board voice the opinions of (home-bound) youth at many tables and meetings. They also use their own experiences to make a positive contribution to policies regarding necessary improvements in the (educational) system.
Vincent Fafieanie
Vincent FafieanieSenior advisor on education and youth at the NJI
The young people of the ÉigenWijsheid Advisory Board share their experiences in a powerful and nuanced way. Their experiential knowledge adds depth to discussions and workshops, inspires new insights, and helps us make better choices. Their voice is indispensable if we truly want to connect with what young people need.
Chaja Deen
Chaja DeenExpert in pedagogical foundation, education and youth policy at the NJI
Through the School Attendance Knowledge Network, I regularly collaborate with the ÉigenWijsheid Advisory Board. What I find remarkable is how the Advisory Board consistently makes their voice heard, even when it is outside their comfort zone. They even do this internationally. For example, in New Orleans, they were naturally part of the Dutch delegation and powerfully brought the youth perspective to the forefront. It is precisely this involvement, authenticity, and dedication that make their contribution so valuable for policy, research, and practice.
Be stubborn!

Contact the board of the ÉigenWijsheid Advisory Council

Click here and sign up as a volunteer for the ÉigenWijsheid Advisory Board.