Social Entrepreneurship
The Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship denotes scholars who successfully completes a course of study and action that prepares them to be an agent for stewardship and positive social change in the world. They will develop an ability to integrate entrepreneurism and critical social inquiry as a foundational creative force for designing change. They will seek to apply this in the use of design thinking, sociopolitical/socioeconomic and ethical analysis, design/engineering, and appropriate technologies, in the innovative development of products and programs intended to drive social change.
Certificate Requirements:
Required coursework (at least three): The student must take the three core semester courses required for this certificate. The student will maintain a B or above in required core courses.
- Religion, Resistance, and Revolution or Environmental Justice
- Design Engineering – Driving change through design thinking and product solutions
- Business and the Good Society – Driving change through social entrepreneurship
There are a range of additional courses that will serve to enrich a scholar’s learning in this certificate program. Scholars should consider deepening their perspectives by pursuing work in these fields, but it is not required. In some cases, upon consulting with the certificate director, one of these courses may serve as a core course.
These are:
- Additional Religion electives
- Economics electives
- Upper-level History electives
- Art electives
- Independent Seminar or Applied Scientific Research
Required project work (four): The student will complete four significant projects, papers, or presentations over the junior and senior year that demonstrate the exploration of creating solutions through the lens of the certificate.
These will be developed and accomplished in other disciplines or activities for example:
- In an Economics or Mathematics course that requires a project, the student researches and completes an analysis of the impacts of hunger in Mumbai, develops a programmatic approach to mitigate this burden, and calculates the benefits of the proposed program.
These projects will be planned by the student in consultation with the certificate director, approved by the course teacher (when appropriate), and approved by the certificate director.
Once graded by the teacher, the project work is forwarded to the director, who will review with the student and approve the work as a submission to the certificate portfolio.
Off-Campus immersion:
- The student will design, implement and document a service project centered on the certificate focus, OR
- The student will participate in summer and/or weekend research, service, or work experience in entrepreneurship involving two weeks or 10 weekend days.
Extra-curricular opportunity on campus (one required):
- Robotics participation with a focus on community outreach
- Specialized design/build group (e.g. the hand project) participation
- Active participation in organizations and/or clubs that hold social inquiry, action and social change/justice as their fundamental goals.
Capstone Project:
The student will complete a Capstone Project that demonstrates authentic action-based learning, ties all of the certificate experiences into a cogent, reflective whole, and connects to the published Westtown School Global Competencies.
The student will compile all documentation and works created within the certificate program into a portfolio. Examples of a Capstone Project:
- a workshop or seminar run by the student that teaches out his or her learning
- the creation of an artifact
- the development of a business plan
The Capstone Project will include the collection of the portfolio, with a critical analysis of the scope and significance of the work and its connection to the Westtown School Global Competencies.
