ECIO Inclusion AWARD Election | Jury at the ready! Cast your vote!
“Together we are making education more inclusive.”
Many entries were received for the ECIO Inclusion AWARD Election 2025, ideas and best practices that make education and the labor market more inclusive for young people with support needs. We are very happy about this. After a thorough initial selection, there are now six nominees remaining for a chance to win the ECIO Inclusion AWARD and accompanying cash prize.
The judges will evaluate the entries for their relationship to the eight inclusion elements, impact and whether they can be implemented in other regions or institutions.
Meet the judges!
Froukje van Gelder is a medical student in Rotterdam. She advocates for students and care staff with support needs (although she prefers to use the word neurodiversity herself). As a student ambassador for Erasmus University, she promotes the importance of the positive aspects of neurodiversity. She previously won the ECIO Frank Award with her e-learning on dyslexia, which has been viewed a total of more than 1,000 times.
Jan Willem Meinsma is a former director of Saxion and Windesheim University of Applied Sciences. He has been involved in studying with a support need for many years and a member of the advisory board of ECIO. Previously he was chairman of the parents’ association Balans, co-founder of Bartimeus Accessibility and board member of Drempelvrij. Currently he focuses on, among other things, developing values of professionals in handling wicked problems.
Josefien van Pelt has a master’s degree in gender and diversity from Utrecht University and did an internship at Rabobank’s Global Manager Diversity & Inclusion. After various positions in education, she now works at NRO to ensure the accessibility and usability of knowledge from research for teachers and education professionals.
Rianne Bieleman, project leader of the successful Strong at Work initiative at Windesheim University of Applied Sciences and winner of the 2024 Bridge of Fame Award, is a passionate advocate for creating equal opportunities for students with support needs. Her efforts focus on promoting the successful advancement of these students into the workforce.
Bastianne Dokter is a Social Work student with a passion for facing challenges and contributing to a better world. She brings enthusiasm, an open attitude and a strong sense of justice. With her entrepreneurial spirit, Bastianne has started a project within her college on inclusive education, including the creation of a student platform for students with disabilities. She is also a member of the ECIO Youth Advisory Council.
The six nominees
The six ideas selected fall under various themes, from promoting inclusive learning environments and assessment to supporting professionals and improving collaboration across regions and disciplines. The jury now has the responsibility to thoroughly evaluate the submissions and choose the initiatives that can make a difference for students with support needs.
Vote for your favorite!
One of the special features of this pageant is that the public can also make their voices heard. Everyone is invited to cast their vote for the best entry, thereby contributing to promoting an inclusive society.
In addition to receiving national media attention, the winners of the ECIO Inclusion AWARD Election 2025 will be awarded the ECIO Inclusion AWARD and accompanying cash prize of €5,000 to support their initiatives.
You can vote once during the period from Oct. 9 to Oct. 19, 2025.
Presentation
The award and accompanying cash prize will be presented at the directors’ meeting on Oct. 28.
