Click on one of the links below to learn more about our current strategic partnerships with Universities and International Development Organizations...
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Universities: Overview
Social Entrepreneur Corps has strategic partnerships with top universities who endorse our programs. Depending upon the university, credit hours or financial support is offered. We work with our universities partners in a variety of ways...
Columbia University
“Encouraging Dynamic Global Entrepreneurs (EDGE)” Program
Undergraduate Center for Career Education
Social Entrepreneur Corps is entering its second year working with the Columbia University Center for Career Education. The mission of the Center for Career Education is to help students and alumni develop the key competencies necessary to make informed decisions and take the necessary steps to achieve their career goals. The Center establishes connections and facilitates interaction among undergraduate students, graduate students, alumni, employers, and organizations to generate opportunities that help students pursue their personal and professional objectives. Social Entrepreneur Corps is a select provider within Columbia’s “Encouraging Dynamic Global Entrepreneurs (EDGE)” program.
Columbia University students interested in participating in Social Entrepreneur Corps are encouraged to visit the EDGE program website here:(http://www.cce.columbia.edu/students/experiential/index.php)
and/or visit the Center for Career Education to learn more about the application process. There are a designated number of placements being held open for Columbia University students in the Guatemala eight week and four week summer programs.
University of Connecticut
Study Abroad Programs
Social Entrepreneur Corps is entering its fist year a strategic partner with the University of Connecticut’s Study Abroad department. The University of Connecticut offers over 200 study abroad programs in 65 countries on six continents. Both University of Connecticut students and students from other universities as well can apply through the study abroad website here: (https://secure.sa.uconn.edu/sap/studioabroad/)
and receive up to 9 credit hours for the two month summer program in Guatemala. Specifics regarding the class offering are currently being finalized. There are a designated number of placements being held open for University of Connecticut students in the Guatemala eight week summer program.
University of Notre Dame
MicroVenturing Program
Gigot Center for Entrepreneurial Studies,
Mendoza College of Business
Social Entrepreneur Corps is entering its second year working with the University of Notre Dame’s Social/MicroVenturing program within the Gigot Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at the Mendoza College of Business. The MicroVenturing program is pioneering practical approached to creating successful community based micro-ventures through classroom, workshop, and in-market exercises. The program utilizes a consortium of educators, prominent members of both the public and private sectors, and Notre Dame students in the role of small-business mentors. The mission of the course is to promote the creation of sustainable communities equipped with the tools to improve lives and reinforce their commitment to the betterment of society by equipping college students with adequate training to make lasting contributions to the creation or expansion of select small businesses. The course will concentrate on defining the role of social entrepreneurship in solving the larger problems of domestic and global poverty.
University of Notre Dame students interested in participating in Social Entrepreneur Corps are encouraged to visit the Gigot Center for Entrepreneurial Studies to learn more about the application process. There are a designated number of placements being held open for MicroVenturing class students in the Guatemala eight week summer program.
“There are some business ideas that are so straightforward and that make so much sense, you wonder, "Why didn't I think of that?" This is definitely the case with the CE Solutions model. When our students heard Greg Van Kirk present the CE Solutions microconsignment model, it made perfect sense to them - an idea that in itself was entrepreneurial and that encouraged entrepreneurial activity in rural communities. CE Solutions is providing more than a quick fix or a charitable contribution. The CE Solutions team provides the training and tools for microentrepreneurs to sustain their businesses, as well as purchasing power, which can then be used to spur economic development in their own communities. Our students keep mentioning Greg (more than six months after meeting him) and the CE Solutions model not because it's the only social entrepreneurial model they know - for we've studied many - but because it's a model that is straightforward and just makes sense.”
Melissa A. Paulsen, Social/MicroVenturing Programs Manager
Gigot Center for Entrepreneurial Studies
Mendoza College of Business, University of Notre Dame
Duke University, DukeEngage
Duke Center for Civic Engagement (DCCE)
DukeEngage
Social Entrepreneur Corps is an inaugural strategic partner of Duke University’s new DukeEngage program through the Duke Center for Civic Engagement (DCCE). Duke's new program, DukeEngage, will provide full funding and faculty and administrative support to all undergraduates who want to stretch beyond the classroom by tackling societal issues at home and abroad, and, in turn, learning from those real-world experiences. Projects could range from learning about African education challenges while helping a rural school to gaining insights into natural disasters while working with Gulf Coast flood victims. The program will provide Duke students with opportunities to collaborate with nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations that address poverty, housing, education, AIDS or other social issues; with a financial institution to explore how investment affects life in third-world countries; or an art museum to increase outreach to low-income children, among other things. The Duke Endowment of Charlotte and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation of Seattle are providing an endowment DukeEngage. The program's national advisory committee is chaired by David Gergen, a Duke trustee and former White House adviser who is professor of public service at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and director of its Center for Public Leadership. James Joseph, former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa and director of the U.S.-Southern African Center for Leadership and Public Values at Duke, will lead the faculty advisory board.
Duke University students interested in participating in Social Entrepreneur Corps are encouraged to visit the DukeEngage website here http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/engage/proposal.html
and/or visit the Duke Center for Civic Engagement to learn more about the application process. There are a designated number of placements being held open for Duke University - DukeEngage students in the Guatemala eight week summer program.
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Development Organizations: General Information about Partners
Social Entrepreneur Corps works with a variety of International and Local Development Organizations focused on solving the problems confronting the rural poor through innovative solutions. Social Entrepreneur Corps participants will learn from and work with numerous organizations and offer invaluable support.
Highlighted Strategic Partners
Community Enterprise Solutions
Community Enterprise Solutions ("CE Solutions”) is a social entrepreneurship, not-for-profit organization which creates and provides opportunities for low-income constituents in rural Guatemala. CE Solutions co-founders are the co-founders of Social Entrepreneur Corps through the New Development Solutions Group. CE Solutions’ primary mission s to convert what have traditionally been rural relief/development projects into profitable, locally-run entrepreneurial ventures.
As we all know, the underlying issue is that villagers continue to live in sustained poverty. Amongst other causes, this is in large part due to the fact that there is a lack of access to basic healthcare products/services that solve the problems of pulmonary illnesses, gastrointestinal illnesses, visual problems, malnutrition and lack of access to water. This effects not only health but as well has a profound economic impact. Additionally, there are limited new income earning opportunities being created for capable women who must continue with their important family obligations. The problem is, that in spite of the success of microfinance and the promotion of “Bottom of the Pyramid” concepts, there are few models that are addressing these causes in a sustainable, profitable and scalable manner. There are products that exist. There are no lack of appropriate technology stoves, water filters, reading glasses, seeds and the like. There is both local and foreign latent human capital looking for solutions. There are financial resources and organizations inspired to serve these people in need. And there exist local transportation networks to reach these vulnerable communities. The real problem is that a variable cost based and holistic, product vetting, social entrepreneur identification, financing, training and logistical model is needed. CE Solutions’ MicroConsignment Model, with the recent augmentation of Social Entrepreneur Corps, is a proven method that is intelligently addressing problems on a daily basis, has helped tens of thousands of villagers gain access to needed products and services, is continually creating new compelling income generation opportunities and is replicable in any developing country in the world.
Within the MicroConsignment Model CE Solutions trained over 150 primarily women entrepreneurs who have sold over 10,000 pairs of glasses, 900 wood burning stoves and have recently begun successfully selling vegetable seeds and water filters as well as energy saving light bulbs. They will soon begin offering a rainwater cachment product, a small business newsletter/website and as well will be piloting children’s glasses for U-Specs. Local social entrepreneurs earn an average of two dollars per hour for their work where the average imputed hourly wage is fifty cents and the opportunity cost is oftentimes zero. They have sold their products/services in over 250 villages in the past three years. A national, entrepreneur-owned company which will serve as a holding company is in the final stages of being formalized and, based on current projections will be profitable within three months. This model was created and financed under Community Enterprise Solutions. However, now as national profitability is on the near horizon, local leadership has emerged and as Social Entrepreneur Corps is providing human and financial capital through the backing and support of distinguished universities, this NGO can now take a further “step back” and provide primarily strategic support. In short, local ownership and self- sustainability of the macro franchise is being achieved and growth continues from an entrepreneur, product and geographic perspective.
Scojo Foundation
With more than 1.6 billion people in need of reading glasses, the lack of access to affordable reading glasses is a large scale social problem that impedes productivity and diminishes quality of life. It takes the vision, energy and culture of social entrepreneurship to attempt to solve such a daunting problem. Scojo Foundation aims to transform the status quo which is failing 1.6 billion people by creating effective channels to distribute affordable reading glasses on global level. Current barriers to success include access, cost and awareness. In many areas of the world, eye care and reading glasses are simply not available. In areas of the world where eye care is available often reading glasses are sold from an optical shop at a premium price rather than from general stores, pharmacies or local groceries as they are in the U.S.A. and Europe. In general, there is a lack of understanding that when someone reaches 35 years of age or older their near vision progressively worsens as the lens of the eye hardens. For those who are aware of their inability to see up close, many do not know that their disability is easily corrected with a simple pair of reading glasses.
Through the application of business and management skills coupled with an unwavering desire to solve the problem, Scojo Foundation has developed and continues to create permanent channels to deliver reading glasses to those in need at a low-cost while generating awareness thereby creating a market. The Scojo Vision Entrepreneur Program, which trains low-income women to accurately dispense reading glasses for profit, is one way in which Scojo Foundation is striving to provide access to the 1.6 billion in need.
Other organizations
FAFIDESS (www.fafidess.org)
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Chemonics International (www.chemonics.com)
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USAID (www.usaid.gov)
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Agros Foundation (www.agros.org)
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Various Artisan & Weaver Associacions
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Copavic Recycled Glass (www.copavic.com)
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Partner for Surgery (www.partnerforsurgery.org)
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Water for People (www.water4people.org) |
As well as the following web based development initiatives: |
www.sleeprentbuy.com |
www.laregionixil.com |
www.mayanadventure.com |
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