This is an 8-week long program. Our on-line class meets once a week for 3 hours. Classes are held Tuesday evenings. Time zone specific hours are outlined in the Eligibility section.
Once you’ve been accepted to the program, we will send you pre-program reading and just a little homework that will help you prepare for this course. Make sure to take the time to complete the work and invest in your journey ahead. Pre-program work will include a personal and professional values evaluation, a written reflection of your Story of Self and entrepreneurial motivations, and research topics related to Social Entrepreneurship.
No! It’s not required that you have a clear idea to participate. In fact, many participants use the first 4 weeks of the program to do further research, learn and test ideas. Throughout the course you will develop entrepreneurial competencies and skills that will serve you throughout your career.
You will need to dedicate an average of 3 hours outside of our live-learning sessions per week to complete the work for the following session.
It is important that you participate in the live-learning sessions and come ready to engage with the material, facilitator and other participants, having already completed your action work.
As a participant of this course, you will be on boarded to a custom #Slack community where you will connect further with cohort members, the course facilitator, and your coach. Use this community to get to know your fellow colleagues and further develop your network!
This 8-week course will provide you with the tools needed to build a successful social enterprise. Upon completion of the program, you will have developed working models that you can continue to test and validate as you pursue your mission.
The Centre for Social Innovation is a community and launchpad for social entrepreneurship and innovation. We have been supporting social entrepreneurs for over 15 years and have over 2,500 members. This course has been developed with experts and practitioners, and designed to provide you with the skills, tools and knowledge you need. Plus, this course has been designed specifically for Social Entrepreneurship, teaching you how to create meaningful social and environmental impact.
You will need a laptop/computer with a webcam, headphones/earbuds with a microphone, and access to a reliable internet connection to be able to participate in weekly, live-learning sessions and to download and read through weekly materials. It is suggested that you keep a detailed journal to track your weekly progress and enterprise research. Come to class prepared to capture the information shared. We will share slide decks from each learning session as well as a recording of the session for your continued learning.
This course offers the most value to young adults aged 18–30 who are in the “Ideation” and “Discovery” phases of their entrepreneurial journey.
Ideation: Entrepreneur with an idea, initial exploration.
Discovery: Value proposition established, testing ideas, proof of concept achieved, identifying customers.
This course is very well suited to individuals wishing to learn more about what it means to be a social entrepreneur. Many successful social entrepreneurs begin as socially and environmentally conscious citizens who are passionate and in search of meaningful solutions to pressing challenges.
Yes, if you are committed, have the time capacity to fully participate, and are passionate about creating positive change in the world, then this is a great place to begin. AoC: SDG gives you the opportunity to develop your storytelling skills, research abilities, and entrepreneurial competencies to understand and begin to address complex social and environmental challenges.