An 8th-grade class at Hillbrook School in Los Gatos, California, is providing an example of how process and scaffolding can make student entrepreneurship projects more effective. The Social Impact + Leadership (SIL) Program adopts a process-oriented syllabus that takes a full semester, and involves field trips to farms, firms, and co-ops. Students are encouraged to reflect on their experiences, growth in skills, and how they formed new understandings about the world around them. By the end of the course, students have an understanding of the technical skills, content, and ethos required to build social impact products, services, and policies. Rather than rushing to “solution mode”, learners are encouraged to build up competencies as they develop the design, ideas and branding for their projects. The program is noted for how it enshrines process and makes it as crucial to students’ learning as the products they create. The SIL Program connects different subjects and co-opts mentors from inside and outside Hillbrook, and is committed to developing a nuanced understanding of the technical and ethical challenges to building successful social enterprises.
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