Pathways To Impact – Social Innovation in Rural Ontario
PROGRAM OUTLINE
Innovation is critical to communities committed to keeping pace in an ever-changing landscape of urbanization, globalization, environmental stress, technology advances, and other disruptive innovation.
As a Pathways to Impact participant, you will build your toolkit of skills and knowledge to help you advance social innovation in whatever organization, community, or system you work in. Through the program, you will develop a network of experienced social intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs, subject matter experts, and committed changemakers who will help you succeed.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Through the Pathways to Impact program, students will:
- Develop the “entrepreneurial” and “intrapreneurial” skills needed to lead successful initiatives and overcome common barriers;
- Better understand the social innovation landscape;
- Explore their identities as social changemakers; and,
- Build a support network of like-minded people.
PROGRAM ELEMENTS
Real-World Projects
Students undertake a project of their choice that is aligned to their goals for social or environmental progress. It can be a project within an existing organization or an entirely new social venture. For those who haven’t yet identified a project to work on, but are passionate about contributing to their communities, we can help you find something to tackle that leverages your experience and life goals.
SSE fellows not only apply their classroom and self-directed learning to their projects, but they also enjoy many opportunities to reflect on what they are doing. This reflection helps students gain insights and develop new skills, attitudes, and ways of thinking.
Witness/Expert Sessions
There is great value in learning from people who have walked the walk as changemakers. We call those people “witnesses”. The Pathways to Impact classroom includes a mix of established practitioners and experts who can support the learning and development of our students.
Mentors
Students will have a mentor to support them throughout the program, and for at least six months after the program ends.
Action Learning
A staple of all SSE programs, students will participate in virtual Action Learning sessions by videoconference. Action Learning is a very powerful, peer coaching approach to problem solving that is used extensively in the UK and US, and is starting to gain momentum in Canada. Fellows consistently say that this unique coaching approach is one of the most valuable parts of SSE programs.
Webinars
Using webinars, Pathways to Impact will open access to a much wider range of leading “witnesses” and experts living far afield from Huron County.
Resources/Tools
Throughout the program we will provide students with practical toolkits, contacts, and other resources to support their learning.
SCHEDULE
Please note that this is a draft schedule. Sessions may change to respond to emerging student needs.
Each student will be assigned to an Action Learning (AL) Team. The exact schedule for each team’s AL sessions will be determined at the start of the program.
For a more detailed outline please click PathwaysToImpact_Overview_2017 final.