This spring, the Patricelli Center will offer one full-semester course, two half-semester courses, and a student forum. The full-semester course is a startup incubator in which students will build projects, programs, or ventures of their own design. The half-semester courses will focus on understanding complex social and environmental problems and developing a toolkit for tackling those problems. The student forum focuses on leadership and legacy.

These classes are open to students from all class years and majors. For more information, see below or contact the PCSE director, Makaela Kingsley.

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CSPL239 Startup Incubator: The Art and Science of Launching Your Idea

1.0 credit, Tuesdays 1:20-4:10 

The Startup Incubator is a one-semester, experiential learning program designed to teach and enable student entrepreneurs to develop sustainable business models from their ideas. The program will bring together an ambitious, committed, and diverse group of individuals from all classes and majors who are passionate about developing successful solutions to challenges; identify as entrepreneurs, disruptors, and thought leaders; and have the tenacity, work ethic, and ability to succeed. All participating students should have a promising business idea and take the course with the intention of launching or running their own venture.

 

CSPL257/AFAM257/ENVS208 System Mapping for Social and Environmental Impact

0.5 credits, Q3 (January 23-March 6), Fridays 1:20-4:10

In recent years, growing interest in social entrepreneurship has pushed students to “solve” complex social and environmental problems with new ventures of their own design. Unfortunately, this approach often overlooks a critical foundation of social change: understanding the root causes of problems and the contexts that surround them before seeking solutions. In this class, students will study a problem and the systems that surround it and create a “systems map” that documents the economic, political, and cultural factors behind their problem as well as the current solutions landscape. (Note: enrolled students will be eligible to receive a $4,000 stipend to present their work at the Map The System Global Challenge in England during June 2020.)  

 

CSPL262 Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship

0.25 credits, Q4 (March 23-May 6), Fridays 1:20-3:20

This course will be useful for students who want to think critically about how social change happens, launch their own project or venture, innovate solutions to social and environmental problems, hone their activism, and/or build practical skills. We will start by interrogating the term “social entrepreneurship” and exploring the tactics and tendencies of successful change agents. Students will practice mindsets and skillsets for studying problems and implementing interventions by working on a real life social issue: voter engagement in the US.

 

Student Forum: Leadership and Legacy

0.5 credits, Q3

Leadership and Legacy will focus on basic principles of leadership that can be applied in both academic and non-academic contexts. We will explore variables that affect productivity, effectiveness, and efficiency, and a variety of interpersonal skill-sets. Emphasis will be placed on vision, decision-making, time management, career development, team building, conflict, ethics, identity, communication skills, and diversity/inclusion issues. In addition, we will explore a variety of other topics centered on developing your personal leadership style. Classroom teaching methods will include class discussions, group exercises, short written assignments, and group projects. By the end of the course, you will have increased your personal and interpersonal awareness, sharpened your analytical skills, and gained a greater understanding of the complex issues facing today’s leaders​. ​The course will take place over 6 weeks and will meet on a weekly basis.