Presence Team Facilitates DREAM Guideline Workshop for Educators at NWU

We are pleased to share that the Presence Team from North-West University recently facilitated a DREAM Guideline workshop for health professional educators from the School of Nutrition and the School of Psychosocial Health at NWU’s Potchefstroom Campus. Building on the momentum of their recent presentation at SAAHE 2025, the team brought the same depth of engagement and relational focus to this local professional development opportunity.

Facilitated by Dr Kathleen Froneman, in collaboration with members of the Presence team, the workshop—accredited for 5 Ethics CPD points by the HPCSA—invited participants to explore the DREAM Guideline as a framework for cultivating presence in health professions education. DREAM stands for:

• Dedication – “Doing the best you can”  

• Respect through Relationship – “Good care is about perspective, connecting and attuning”

• Environment – “Supporting good care through relational management”

• Art of Healthcare, Attitude & Advocacy – “Understanding is where change can start”

• Motivation – “Good care requires readiness”

Through a series of interactive and reflective activities—including mindfulness practices, the metaphorical "garden exercise," role-plays, and small-group dialogue—educators were guided to reflect on their own teaching practices and how presence can be intentionally nurtured in both classroom and clinical learning environments.

The workshop also provided a valuable platform for interdisciplinary exchange, with contributions from educators in nutrition, psychology, and social work. This collaborative spirit underscored the broad applicability and shared relevance of presence practices across the health professions.

Participant feedback was deeply affirming, highlighting the workshop’s emotional impact, practical value, and capacity to reawaken purpose in teaching. Many expressed appreciation for the safe and reflective space created, as well as enthusiasm for implementing DREAM principles in their everyday educational encounters.

As part of NWU’s commitment to advancing excellence in teaching and learning, this workshop reflects an ongoing effort to lead by example—fostering a culture of presence, compassion, and relational integrity in health professions education.