Outcomes of the Minor More Healthy Years

The minor More Healthy Years has run very successfully over the past six years, but has now come to an end. In this article, we look back at what the minor has delivered: valuable societal impact, educational innovations, and lasting lessons for students and all those involved.

Looking back on six years of the More Healthy Years minor, we see a period filled with meaningful collaborations, creative innovations, and personal development for everyone involved. The minor stood out for its multidisciplinary, practice-oriented approach to public health and for the joint development of effective solutions to societal health challenges.

They were dynamic years. Even a global pandemic occurred along the way. A number of familiar faces formed a common thread throughout the program, while new people continually joined, such as commissioners, mentors, and lecturers from different faculties. Thanks to the many perspectives contributed by stakeholders from professional practice, Design Thinking experts, coordinators, educational developers, lecturers from eight faculties, and the students themselves, a challenging program emerged—one that was continuously refined and further developed.

Valuable outcomes for public health

The minor generated valuable insights and innovations for more than thirty challenges within the domain of public health. Interdisciplinary student teams worked on solutions to complex issues submitted by stakeholders in the northern Netherlands. For example, they drew attention to diaper and menstrual poverty, increased the focus on patients’ health literacy, and The Bean Team developed a plan to promote the consumption of plant-based foods. Although half a year is often too short to fully solve such complex problems, the teams provided new perspectives and tested underlying assumptions—outcomes that were highly valuable to commissioning organizations.

A breeding ground for interdisciplinary and challenge-based education

In addition to its societal impact, the minor also served as a testing ground for educational innovation. Due to its interdisciplinary nature, the diversity of perspectives, and the semester-long challenge-based approach, the minor became a rich learning environment for students, lecturers, mentors, and stakeholders alike. The insights gained found their way into other innovations, such as the minor Expedition Healthy North, Honours College modules, and broader knowledge sharing via the Teaching Academy Groningen (TAG). In addition, new supporting materials were developed, including a guide for commissioning organizations, a mentor manual, and rubrics for professional behavior and interdisciplinary competencies.

Success factors: one integrated trajectory and Design Thinking

The “all or nothing” character of the 30 ECTS minor and the use of Design Thinking were key success factors. Because the minor formed one coherent trajectory, students remained actively engaged and motivated throughout the entire semester. The long-term collaboration within teams meant that conflicts could not be avoided but instead had to be addressed constructively—providing realistic preparation for professional practice.

Design Thinking also offered a creative and structured method that provided guidance in the sometimes messy process of innovation. The method encouraged critical thinking, questioning assumptions, and repeatedly refocusing on the needs of end users. With the support of Design Thinking experts, the approach was refined and a Design Thinking Teachers Training was developed, the workbook and training materials of which constitute lasting outcomes.

What students learned most

Over six years, nearly 140 students successfully completed the minor. Evaluations show that they learned most from working on a real, complex challenge, from having the time and space for in-depth exploration, and from collaborating with students from other disciplines. For many, the minor was an important step in their development as professionals in public health and prevention. One alumna even described the minor as the highlight of her studies, partly due to the collaboration with a hospital in the northern Netherlands. Some students consciously chose a different master’s program or career path as a result of the minor, while others took valuable skills with them into entirely different fields.

Student experiences:

“My own degree program focused very much on details, but through the minor I started to look much more broadly. That also came from collaborating with students from completely different programs.”

“I learned a great deal about how collaboration works, how everything is connected, how people connect… I personally found that very enjoyable.”

Lasting lessons for education and public health

One of the most important lessons from six years of More Healthy Years is the importance of time and space for dialogue. The minor provided a formal and physical meeting place where students from different backgrounds worked together for half a year and, with guidance, navigated the complexity of societal challenges. The challenges themselves are plentiful; what is essential is creating a safe and supportive learning environment in which students learn to deal with that complexity. The time and space to become accustomed to this way of working enabled students to let go of old habits and make genuine learning progress.

Want to know more?

Would you like to know more about the More Healthy Years minor or about the materials that were developed? Please contact Marline Lisette Wilders (m.l.wilders@rug.nl) or Hedwig Boer (h.j.boer@rug.nl).