The Social Innovators Program

Summer 2024 - HECA Partnership

The Social Innovators Program is a partnership between the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice, the Center for Social Impact Strategy, and Schoolyard Ventures.

The eight week virtual program guides high school students through the process of learning how to launch their own social impact businesses and nonprofits that create real value for their communities.

Students who successfully complete the course will earn a Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship from the University of Pennsylvania.

Background

The Social Innovators Program is currently run in partnership with some of the top independent schools in the world. In the summer of 2020, we opened up enrollment to the public to help accommodate students who were displaced by COVID related cancellations of other programs. During this time, some of the most exceptional students referred to the program were referred to us by HECA members.

Since then, we have closed enrollment to the public. But we are excited to continue to accept referrals from HECA members for Summer 2024!

Why SIP Exists

Entrepreneurship is much more than merely learning how to start a business. It’s a mindset—a creative problem-solving framework that can be applied to any number of situations and opportunities—and it’s fundamental to students’ long-term success in school, work, and life. It allows them to see opportunities where others don’t, make risk-adjusted decisions, persevere through adversity, and communicate effectively with stakeholders and the public.

The Social Innovators Program is a partnership between the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Social Impact Strategy and Schoolyard Ventures, an organization that develops university-level, real-world learning opportunities for ambitious high school students. Developing an entrepreneurial mindset while in high school gives students substantive differentiation from their peers, better insight into their future educational and career opportunities, and more grit and resilience to accomplish their goals.

Three Key Processes + Reflection

Skills and Outcomes

  • Entrepreneurial Mindset: Develop the ability to observe, identify, and act on opportunities based on personal experiences and practical insights.

  • Experiential Learning: Emphasize hands-on, real-world experiences to encourage the application of knowledge through active participation.

  • Creativity: Approach problems and opportunities with innovative thinking by learning how to generate diverse ideas, execute ideas into action, adapt and pivot based on real-world feedback, and embrace the ambiguity that comes with entrepreneurship. 

  • Resourcefulness: Instill a sense of creativity and adaptability to leverage personal skills and experiences for piloting and testing innovative solutions.

  • Risk Taking, Confidence Building and Resilience: Cultivate the ability and courage to bounce back from setbacks, learn from failures, and maintain a positive, growth mindset. 

  • Self-Awareness: Promote an understanding of personal strengths, weaknesses, values, and motivations to inform entrepreneurial decisions through reflection and introspection.

  • Authentic Differentiation: Discover genuine and meaningful distinctions or unique qualities. Students will complete the program with a final interview that includes the story behind their solution, reflection on their learnings across their entrepreneurial journey, introspection on their growth, and plans for the future.

Program Format

The Social Innovators Program allows students to learn about entrepreneurship and experience it first-hand. During the program, students learn how to launch ventures of their own that create value and a positive impact on society, all with individualized support from instructors.

The eight-week program is a virtual program (online). With class sizes of eight or less, students will participate in live online group discussions led by Schoolyard Ventures staff and have continual access to personalized guidance and support from the whole Schoolyard Ventures team. Because students choose their own projects, each student’s experience in the program is unique to his or her interests and goals. Schoolyard Ventures has helped students launch ventures ranging from tech companies and fashion retailers, to community-based non-profits and social movements. Students are encouraged to find something that sparks their curiosity and to use intrinsic motivation as the basis for developing an entrepreneurial mindset.

At the end of the program, students will present their work and most importantly, their personal development.

Who

High school students

When

  • Week of June 10th through the week of July 29th

  • The program meets twice per week in weeks 1 - 2, and once per week in weeks 3 - 8.

  • Day or evening session times are available.

  • The total weekly time commitment for the program is five hours per week in weeks 1 - 2, and three hours per week in weeks 3 - 8. This includes sessions, assignments, one-on-one check-ins, and project work.

Where

Virtual

Note: this program was designed to be virtual from its inception pre-COVID, with small class sizes, weekly opportunities for one-on-one guidance, and minimal screen time.

Tuition

$2,295 USD

More Information

Questions?

Contact Rich Sedmak, Executive Director via 215-948-2543 or rsedmak@upenn.edu

Want to be notified about our upcoming programs as they are announced? Sign up for our occasional update emails (~8 times per year).

 

Information Session