Cultivating Changemakers & Creating Impact: Models for Experiential Learning

Today’s Plan

• Group Activity

• Speaker Presentations

• Collective Q & A Session

• Breakout Session’s

• Group Activity

What Are We Here For?

• Interdisciplinary Experiential Learning Models

• Social Innovation

• Leveraging Community Impact Partnerships

• Fellowship Programs to International Projects

Lets Get Creative

Think of two things you hope to learn from today’s session and how it may relate to what you are working on back home. Use the sticky notes

provided to write down your answers.

Turn to Your Neighbor

University Innovation

Fellows

Brayden Cutler

and

Dr. Cynthia Wong

Utah Valley University

Benefits/ Impact

• The University Innovation Fellows (UIF) program empowers students around the world to become agents of change in higher education.

• Fellows create opportunities that help their peers unlock their creative potential and develop the design-centered mindset required to take on complex challenges in today’s world.

• Fellows represent the student voice in the global conversation about the future of education. They become deeply familiar with the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem at their schools, working closely with faculty, administrators and community stakeholders.

• Fellows design and implement activities to enhance that landscape.

UIF might be a good fit for your organization if…• Your organization recognizes the benefits of

empowering students through design-thinking.

• You have a group of self-directed students who are driven to enhance innovation.

• You are savvy about navigating complex political issues.

• You have a core group with diverse skill sets across multiple disciplines.

• You have a strong collaborative spirit and are willing to work alongside students.

Potential challenges

• Competition for funding, permanent space, resources

• Working through administrative issues, politics and egos

• Boot-strapping

• Commitment levels

• Coordination and communication among multiple cohorts

• Growing pains

Examples of fellow-driven projects• 20,000 passions project

• Innovation Incubator

• Connection people to innovation resources on campus

• Mapping maker spaces

Maureen Hammett, University at Buffalo School of Social Work

• Vice Dean & Chief of Staff

Thomas Ulbrich, University at Buffalo School of Management

• Assistant Dean

• Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, Executive Director

• Blackstone LaunchPad at University at Buffalo, Executive Director

SOCIAL IMPACT FELLOWS PROGRAM

• Collaboration between UB School of Social Work, School of Management and Blackstone LaunchPad.

• 20 Fellows selected - through a competitive process - to explore and implement innovative solutions in ten organizations working to address a variety of social issues impacting the greater Buffalo region.

How it Works

“The pairing of MSW and MBA students was exactly what we needed to

create a plan that was person-centered, fiscally responsible and sustainable” – Sandra Lauer, Director, Continuum of Care, Erie County Medical Center

• Pairing students from each school together - and co-placing them with an organization - further encourages cross-disciplinary collaboration and ensures the skills and knowledge of both student cohorts are utilized to create ideas that have both social impact and financial sustainability.

• Fellows work collaboratively - using entrepreneurial principles and sustainable social innovation - to develop solutions to the project or challenge outlined by their organization.

How it Works (continued)“Now, after

participating in this

Fellowship, I understand

and recognize how integral it is to merge the

social work and business

fields in developing a program to

serve those in

need.” –J.Puma, MSW

student

focused on gender equity, health care, food waste and homelessness…10 organizations on deck for 2018.

WNY Women’s Foundation

Fellowship Components• Social Innovation Course – full week in

late May. Followed by…

• Two-day orientation the next week (for both students and reps from partner organizations).

• Eight-week internship/fellowship, early June – late July.

• Placed with assigned organization Monday – Thursday.

• Classroom debriefing and Community Experience on Fridays. (Friday are half-day sessions this year.)

• “Pitch for a Cause” idea competition (culminating activity).

• Students give 5-minute pitches on why their organization should get more funding for the initiative they developed.

• Panel of three judges (leaders in the local corporate and non-profit communities).

• Cash prizes for 1st and 2nd

place teams.

Fellowship Components Continued

• Learn about issues affecting the community; meet with stakeholders who are working on these problems and/or who are affected by these issues.

• Work with local organizations to tackle social problems with an out-of-the-box approach.

• Students gain skills and experience in strategic planning, creative problem-solving, entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship.

Benefits for Students

• Compensation for a 3-credit course (tuition and fees) and a modest stipend.

• Experience will…sharpen your skills, expand your network, increase your marketability and be a highlight on your résumé.

• Post program…Gain appreciation for the background and skills of counterparts from other discipline…Expansion of career goals and search parameters.

Benefits for Students (continued)

“I was able to communicate more effectively

with people of all business levels and my

ability to make quick decisions has greatly

increased.”

“The SIF program has allowed me to

understand that businesses can operate and

function with a social mission in mind.”

“My career, whatever it may be, has a higher

chance of including social issue aspects.”

“I think I want to start my own

social enterprise in the future.”

“I have seen how valuable I could

be as a professional for a

nonprofit.”

“I have added a course, Nonprofit

Management, to my Fall 2017

schedule.”

Select Student Feedback

Belmont Housing

• “The SIF students worked on the program design and proposal which was sent to HUD for approval after completion. It was recently approved, so the plan is to have an MOU with a partner agency that the students helped identify, and logistics will be completed by the beginning of February so that we can begin accepting participants by Spring 2018.”

Matt Urban

• “The UB SIF Program was instrumental in making our dream a reality in relation to launching our screen-printing social enterprise…The seed money was immediately invested into needed equipment, materials, and training for the initiative. Our official launch was in November 2017, and since then we have provided employment and training to three clients who have printed more than 50 shirts…Currently, we are looking to expand our online presence and begin exploring more concrete partnerships with graphic designers and artists in the community.”

Benefits for Organization Partners

• Student stipends needed to be increased

• Friday sessions were too long and draining for students

• Introductions between students and organizations should – ideally –

happen earlier in the process

• Pitch for a Cause activity needs to receive correct amount of emphasis

within the overall program

• Costs far exceeded allocated funding

• Program has broad appeal to prospective donors

• Challenges in identifying appropriate corporate sites for placing

students

• Recognize the importance of clear communication and expectations

among all program stakeholders

Lessons Learned from Year One

Please come and chat with us (and our two faculty colleagues) to learn more about our program!

AshokaU 2018

Society's continued progress depends in large part on our ability to address three inter-

related challenges

College to Career

Skills Gap

Social Sector Talent

Shortage

Growing Inequality

Among College Grads

29

Many recent college grads lack the 21st Century skills employers want

Work Place Skill Gap

1. Are Colleges Preparing Students for the Workplace?, www.thecollegesolution.com (2014)

▪ Only 11% of business leaders and 14% of Americans “strongly agree” today’s college graduates have the skills needed to succeed in their workplaces1

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

English Language

Written Communications

Oral Communications

Critical Thinking

Teamwork/Collaboration

Ethics/Social Responsibility

Leadership

Skills Required for Employment vs.Skills of College Graduates Entering the

Workplace

Employers who rated skill as "Very Important" for entrants

Employers who rated readiness of entrants as "Excellent"

CfSI Value Exchange

31

Social Sector Organizations

Colleges and Universities

College Students

Life-changing fellowships for diverse cohorts of

students

A new generation of problem-solvers

The social sector today includes 33 million full-time jobs and is growing fast

32

29%

11%

12%

6%

17%

10%

Interpreters and Translators

Environmental Scientists &Specialists

Social Workers

K-12 Teachers

Medical and Health ServicesManagers

Social and Community ServiceManagers

Job Outlook 2014-2024*

*data from BLS 2016

Degree Required

33 million social sector jobs and ~20 million require a bachelor’s

degree. Includes non-profits and public sector

Average employment growth 6.5%

Great internships with strong mentorsare life-changing for students

Higher if I had a mentor who encouraged me to pursue my goals and dreams.

Higher if I had an internship or job that allowed me to apply what I was learning in the classroom.

Higher if I worked on a project that took a semester or more to complete.

According to a landmark 2014 Gallup-Purdue survey of more than 30,000 US college graduates, engagement in the workplace is higher for students who had high-impact

learning experiences in college

33

CfSI integrates fully-credited internships with reflection and skill-building

Ongoing opportunities for resource-sharing, practice and feedback through online Learning Management System accessible to all constituents.

Internship: 30 hours per week in a nonprofit, government agency or social mission business for a semester, supported by a supervisor who takes a mentor/coaching approach.

Social Innovator’s Tool Box: Seminar that provides context for social change work including challenges, trends and promising strategies; opportunities to practice power tools and habits reinforced through course structure.

Friday In-Service: Skill building workshops teaching power tools and habits; opportunities for practice and reflection (on lessons learned and program experiences broadly)

Online Community: Online Learning management system offers ongoing opportunities for resource-sharing, practice and feedback

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri

9:00-10:00

Internship Internship

Internship

Internship

Breakfast

Reflection

10:00-12:00

BaPSWorkshops & Activities

12:00-1:00 Lunch

1:00-5:00

BaPSWorkshops& Activities

(end at 4:30)Travel

Seminar—The Social

Innovator’s Tool Box

5:00-7:00

OccasionalSpeakers

and Activities

Our model is founded on four core design principles

Social Sector Placements provide a full semester of academic credit while developing workplace and social skills and pathways to good jobs

Students work toward proficiency as problem solvers by developing essential skills and habits:

−Persuasive Arguments−Empathetic Engagement−Human Centered Design−Data Driven Insights

Students learn through feedback and mentorship, including professional, academic and career coaching. Technology will help us support alumni

Design Principles Purposeful Outcomes

Work-based learning

Mentoring

Reflection upon experience

Competency-based approach

CfSI offers reflection workshops and one intensive seminar per semester, the Social Innovator’s Tool Box, which examines social change case studies

−Belief and Purpose−Work Hard and Smart

We started with two pilot partners…

- 36 -

…and now we partner with 10 colleges, with more added every month!

- 38 -

Global Social Impact Elective

Who is Emzingo?

Cordes Innovation Award WinnerOur NexGen Fellowship program was selected as one of the

most promising educational approaches to social entrepreneurship.

What is GSI?

A semester long elective that combines a real-world international project with professional development training,

workshops, and coaching

Real-world experience &

Positive Impact

through projects with social

enterprises & nonprofits

Cultural Awareness

through training, virtual

project work and

immersion in Rio

Professional Development

Through coursework,

workshops, and

team building

Why this model?

Impact Partners

• Pro-bono resources

• Multi-year engagement

• Trusted, local partners in Emzingo

Students

• Social Impact

• International Experience

• Real-world projects

Institution

• Integrate impact into international programs

• Recruitment

• New market

Create positive impact while introducing students to social business, design thinking, and related concepts early in their academic careers

Who is involved?

1st year business students University faculty and staff from business school & global programs departments

Emzingo staff based in the U.S. and BrazilSocial enterprises, non-profits, and stakeholders in Rio de Janeiro

How does it work?

Sep - Jan Feb - Apr May June

Phase 1 -Preparation

Phase 2 - Execution Phase 3 - Delivery Phase 4 -Evaluation

Curriculum

Projects

Coaching

• Syllabus review• Business boot camp

• Project partner development

• Project scoping

• Intensive Kickoff• Weekly class

• Virtual client work• Research &

interviews• Interim deliverables

• Team building & mentoring

• On-going project support

• Trip prep/logistics• Present immersion

plan

• 9 day immersion in Rio

• Final reports and presentations

• Direct team support during immersion

• Coaching on final presentation and deliverables

• After action review –what skills were missing?

• Client feedback• Student learning• Impact assessment

• Feedback to support curriculum and project changes

Learning Outcomes

Community ImpactLow

ExperientialLow High

PartnershipsLow

Project-basedLow High

InterdisciplinaryLow High

High

High

46© Copyright Emzingo™ 2009-2017. All rights reserved.

Project Example: Favela Verde

Favela Verde aims to generate social and environmental transformations in the informal

urban context, creating models of harmonic coexistence between natural and social

systems based on self-management and local sustainability.

Questions

Back to the Stickie's

What are two interesting things you learned today? Write them on the stickie's provided.

Turn to Your Neighbor Again

Thank you for continuing to be the change!