1. SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
IN THE LIBERAL ARTS
The AshokaU Exchange
Arizona State University
“Disruptive Innovation in Higher Education”
February 10 - 11, 2012
amherstinnovation.org middlebury.edu/studentlife/innovation/cse

2. WHO WE ARE: AMHERST
SILT = Social Innovation Leadership Team
Founded Fall 2010
Team of 7 paid students – branch of the Center for Community Engagement
Mission: To provide Amherst College students with the tools to grow and
sustain their innovative action ideas, projects, and organizations by
moving towards a proactive, collaborative response to pressing public
issues
amherstinnovation.org

3. WHAT WE DO
Workshop Series
 Led by alumni and other community members
Mentoring Program
 Developed with the Career Center
Interterm Course
 Taught by UMass entrepreneurship professor
Gumball Challenge
 Teaches students about microfinance
Innovation Pitch Competition
 Co-sponsored with other groups on campus
amherstinnovation.org

4. WHERE WE’RE GOING
Summer Opportunities
 Incubation for student entrepreneurs
 Connections to summer internships
Forging Connections
 Network of liberal arts colleges involved in SE
 Grinspoon Entrepreneurship Initiative
Greater Presence on Campus
 Innovation Center?
 Administrative/Board of Trustees support
amherstinnovation.org

5. WHO WE ARE: MIDDLEBURY
MCSE = Middlebury Center for Social Entrepreneurship
Founded Fall 2011
Team of 5 employees and several interns – affiliated with Project on
Creativity and Innovation in the Liberal Arts
Mission: The MCSE will aspire to be a world leader in social change. It will
offer young people and their allies an opportunity to take on the world’s
toughest 21st-century challenges and make a difference.
middlebury.edu/studentlife/innovation/cse

6. WHAT WE DO
Symposium and Lecture Series
 January 2012 kickoff featuring Bill Drayton, Jacqueline Novogratz, Gordon
Bloom and 12 educators
Related Academic Program
 MiddCORE, the Monterey Institute of International Studies, and related courses
Winter Term Courses
 21st-Century Global Challenges, Social Entrepreneurship in the Liberal Arts
Grants and fellowships
 Support for high-school and college students and recent graduates
Training
 For Middlebury students to support center’s goals
middlebury.edu/studentlife/innovation/cse

7. WHERE WE’RE GOING
Summer Opportunities
 Summer internships for Middlebury students
 Training for fellowship recipients? High school teachers?
Forging Connections
 Regional gathering for AshokaU and related campuses
 Work with high schools on empathy initiatives
Greater Presence on Campus
 More integration into academic program
 Support for research aspirations of students
middlebury.edu/studentlife/innovation/cse

8. SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
IN THE LIBERAL ARTS
amherstinnovation.org middlebury.edu/studentlife/innovation/cse

9. QUESTIONS
How do you think the education system can best foster social impact?
How do the liberal arts and social entrepreneurship complement each
other?
Will the liberal arts survive the 21st century?
How do the values of social entrepreneurship and liberal arts
overlap/intersect?
amherstinnovation.org middlebury.edu/studentlife/innovation/cse