NGO Education Survey

Foundations of Social Innovation and Enterprise

All innovations, big and small, propel society forward and contribute to economic prosperity. We customarily think of innovators and the innovative process as driven primarily by a profit motive. However, there is a growing class of individuals who are directing their creative and entrepreneurial energies to address the challenges faced by literally billions of people around the world unable to consistently enjoy even the most basic human needs like clean water, adequate food, and suitable shelter. We might even think of these individuals as ??extreme innovators? given the magnitude of the problems they are addressing and the need for radical solutions that defy conventional boundaries. They are literally changing commonly held perceptions of "what's possible" in both social and economic impact. In addition, the innovations that they develop often drive entirely new organizational forms to be created; these specialized enterprises are custom-made to both "do well" (be profitable) and "do good" (save the world). This course provides an introduction to the field for budding social innovators, investors, emerging market business titans, policy makers, and anyone else interested in learning more about the novel ways that some of the world's most pressing problems are being addressed. The history and context for social innovation, and "power shifts" driving the field, will be presented. An introduction to human-centered design and solutions prototyping will allow participants to begin formulating their own ideas for solving big social problems. Fundamentals in venture planning and development, as well as an introduction to both traditional and emerging capitalization strategies such as philanthropy, government funding, venture capital, microfinance, and competition prizes, will present sustainability options. There will be emphasis throughout the course on highlighting specific examples of innovative products, services, environments, organizations, and modes of interaction aimed at changing the lives of the least fortunate. Particular attention will be on the efforts of global corporations and related enterprises to introduce new products and services that are specifically designed to address the needs of consumers in emerging markets. Finally, there will be consideration of the role of governments and other global institutions to develop policies, regulations, and legislation that support the formation of ??ecosystems? providing ??fertile ground? for social innovators.

Sustainable Community Development

This course examines past and current community development topics and trends associated with creating and/or maintaining sustainable communities.