In today’s educational landscape, fostering community engagement and self-directed learning in offline and online environments should go hand in hand. At RHIZO, we are working on two exciting mobile apps—Juntos Living and Juntos Learning—designed to bring Agile Rituals to students’ and teachers’ mobile devices. 

As we move into the third iteration of these apps, we invite teachers across Europe to test Juntos Living in their classrooms. If you’re interested, please contact me, Joos Van Cauwenberghe, at joos.vancauwenberghe@rhizo.be.

Designing Agile Rituals for a Digital Space

At the core of these apps are two established agile rituals: the Community Mastery Board (Juntos Living) and the Offerings/Request Board (Juntos Learning). These rituals have been pivotal in fostering collaboration, decision-making, and self-directed learning in face-to-face environments. The challenge we face in Project Result 3 of this project is translating these powerful dynamics into a digital space without losing the community-centred values that make them so effective.

While we’re currently prioritising Android development, we also plan to explore iOS versions. The apps are in alpha release, meaning they’re available for private groups of teachers and students to test as we refine the tools based on real-world use.

Juntos Living: Bringing the Community Mastery Board to Life Online

The Community Mastery Board (CMB) plays a vital role in ALCs, helping communities establish, practice, and master agreements that shape their unique culture. The Juntos Living app digitalizes this process, making community contributions more visible and accessible.

In this third iteration, the app makes it easier for students to voice concerns or desires publicly or privately with facilitators, lowering the barrier to sharing community awareness. While in-person boards often struggle with keeping the whole community engaged and accountable for practising new habits, Juntos Living allows real-time tracking of agreements, personalized reminders, and flexible input sharing. This helps manage ongoing practices and maximise community involvement.

Juntos Learning: Expanding the Offerings/Request Board

The Offerings/Request Board—now digitalized as Juntos Learning—serves as a hub where students can discover opportunities the broader learning community offers that align with their interests. Whether cooking, building a robot, or engaging in a debate, the Offerings Board gives students autonomy over their learning choices, fostering a vibrant and curiosity-driven environment. 

Juntos Learning extends beyond physical spaces, connecting students with a broader network of learning opportunities, including parents, alumni, and external experts. On Juntos Learning, both students and guests can offer or request learning. By leveraging technology, we can tap into the often invisible network of contributors to enhance student learning. The challenge has been making this matchmaking process intuitive and seamless, and we continue to improve the app based on user feedback.

Get Involved: Join the Next Round of Testing

As we continue to refine Juntos Living and Juntos Learning, we’re inviting teachers and students across Europe to participate in our next round of user testing. By testing the Juntos Living app with one teacher and a classroom, you’ll have the opportunity to directly influence the development of a tool designed to enhance community engagement and learning in both Agile Learning Centers and traditional schools.

If you’re interested in participating or would like more information, please contact me, Joos Van Cauwenberghe, at joos.vancauwenberghe@rhizo.be .

Together, we are supporting the digital transformation of Europe’s education system by co-creating tools that empower communities to live and learn better online and offline. We look forward to your participation and feedback as we work towards making these apps available to a wider audience soon.