Marco Conceptual

In this study an attempt was made to give an overview of student project characteristics and methods of student mobilization, based on theoretical insights of Verba et al. (1995). The findings of this study could provide the municipality of Enschede directives in organizing such a student project as well.

Based on the interviews with project facilitators, student projects show very little variation in the presence of motivation- and capability provisions. Facilitators have designed student projects that are almost similar to each other. Liora Eldar (ex-coordinator of “Project Vooruit”, which initiated the first student project in the Netherlands) indicated in the interview she supported several facilitators in designing new student projects in the Netherlands. Positive small-scale livability results of “Project Vooruit” and the leading role in developing student projects, have pursued facilitators of new projects to follow these “best-practices” as well. Both facilitators and students of selected student projects in this study have positively evaluated the project success and the carried out activities. In organizing a new student project, the municipality of Enschede could learn from project facilitators of “Project Vooruit”.

Participation requires motivated and capable students that have been invited to join the student project. According to the study results, students are motivated to participate because they would like to make an effort in concrete neighborhood improvements and because the student project fits to their own interests and enjoyments. Project facilitators offered and emphasized opportunities & rewards that matched student’s motivations. In developing new student projects for Enschede as well, project facilitators could choose to acknowledge such important student motivations (expected return and selective social gratifications). Focusing on these student motivations could positively affect student mobilization. Especially in the case of Enschede, with sufficient student housing supply, students are probably more interested in selective social gratifications instead of selective material gratifications. Giving students the opportunity and (to some extent) the freedom to initiate activities by themselves that match their interests and studies, could positively affect student motivation and the degree of student participation. Emphasizing on student’s civic responsibility could have a positive effect on the student’s motivation as well.

A positive extrinsic incentive may cause a student to get intrinsically motivated, when he/she is stimulated or challenged sufficiently. According to project facilitators that have been interviewed, students require an extrinsic (material) reward to get and stay active in the project. The presence of such an opportunity to obtain material rewards, may greatly increase student motivation and actual student participation; otherwise student participation is more difficult to realize. Mobilizing citizens and students is difficult nowadays; (voluntary) participation has to be made attractive for students to match their interests. Project facilitators indicated the project activities and rewards must be made more attractive than a regular side job; otherwise students are not likely to participate. Project facilitators constantly have make considerations about the project workload and project benefits, compared with the benefits of a regular side job. The possibility exist the student might prefer a regular side job, for example.

Based on the examined student time capability scores, the maximum workload (Project Vooruit: 10- 15 hours per week voluntary work) of any selected student project, did not cause any small problems for students; but this might be the amount of hours before furture problems could occur. Student facilitators that have been interviewed, actively emphasized students to take the project more serious than their sidejob, for example. The increased importance raises awareness among students to take the project serious. Therefore, project facilitators make sure students have enough free-time available to invest in the project. Weekly reports gives students the feeling of being responsible for their project activities and makes them accountable for their carried out activities. Nevertheless,

project facilitators should keep an eye on matching the project time-schedule and the student’s free- time available. Having too little time may cause future problems, probably jeopardizing project goals. In designing new student projects, facilitators could select students that are already motivated and capable to participate, in order to reduce possible participation failures. Student selection could be useful to maintain the degree of student participation. Based on student capability results in this study, students indicated they have no problems at all regarding their capability. Depending on the type of project activities, different resources are required to carry out the range of activities. Offering capability provisions positively affects student capability and the degree of carried out project activities. Depending on financial project possibilities, project facilitators may choose to offer capability provisions in new projects as well.

Of the selected capability provisions examined, positively emphasizing self-efficacy could have a positive effect on the student’s self-efficacy. The degree of self-confidence the student has in his or her own capability, may be positively influenced by project facilitators (positive encouragement). Students are more capable when they have more self-confidence in their own capabilities.

Finally, almost all project facilitators that have been interviewed in this study, have indicated that student projects are a win-win situation for both students and neighborhood residents. Mutual acceptance and –commitment, small-scale livability improvements and an increased sense of community are positive effects that have been realized by the cooperation of students and neighborhood residents together.