K12 Social Innovation: why it matters, how it works
Part 2 in a series on the value and process of SI Education, and its role in the larger education revolution we need.
With my “Education Is Broken” rant out of the way in the introduction to this series, it’s time to dive deeper. I’m starting with the why (love that approach) and exploring our fledgling program within the larger context and marketplace of education innovation and global challenges. The goal here is to explore the nature, defining features, and value of “this work” (shout out D4i 2016), which hasn’t officially been named but is a critical part of 21st century schooling.
Why does Avenues have a SI Program?
We exist because the world of social innovation — even more so than general entrepreneurship — is distinguished by truly world-wise leaders and organizations that uniquely understand and tackle global-scale social, environmental, and ethical problems. That will sound familiar to my Avenues friends for its deep alignment with our school’s mission. Hopefully it resonates with a much broader group of students and adults as well, since these people are inspirations and heroes: they engage their passions to try and make the world a better place, often incurring substantial risk to do so. What better role model for youth?
And what better learning model for what complex problem solving is really like? Social entrepreneurs don’t think in terms of disciplines: whatever their academic background, the work invariably requires a transdisciplinary, cross-sectoral approach. Let’s take some recent Avenues Pro Partners as examples:
Crisis Text Line leverages digital technology to help vulnerable people, but requires expertise in communication and anthropology to succeed.
Project Hello World delivers education for the global poor, but wouldn’t exist without the internet and development of weather-proof hardware.
Sonita, a human rights activist and rapper (or “raptivist”), taught herself to rap, but relied on foundations and marketing experts to support her growth and amplify her message.
All three have collaborated with people outside their own companies, comfort zones, and often countries to accomplish audacious, meaningful goals because that is what it takes to be a global leader and innovator today. The skills and behaviors behind these outcomes are generally not taught in traditional classes or school; they tend to be learned by experience, and often through substantial pain.
That is where SI Education comes in: the real world is the curriculum, from the grit and inspiration of success to the lessons and assumptions of failure. Changemakers are case studies; their behaviors (entrepreneurial mindset, lifelong learning) and processes (design thinking, lean startup) are dissected and replicated both in classroom discussion and through authentic projects. Our World Elements curricular format and focus on PBL make it even easier to decouple these practical skills and behaviors from traditional disciplines and classes: the program focuses on empathy, ethics, entrepreneurship, design, measurement, and global trends…just like anyone grappling with the wicked problems that threaten humanity.
The final reason why the Social Innovation Program exists relates to another part of Avenues’ mission: to “make available our discoveries, large and small, to colleagues in the cause of education.” Social impact leaders are known for having “exceptional” characters, stories or circumstances that fueled their audacious decisions: the career change story (“regular” work was not fulfilling); the death or near-death experience; poverty immersion; insane parents. It makes for great storylines, like the myth of heropreneurship. But we shouldn’t have to rely on exceptions to produce our most inspiring leaders. Most teens don’t think of innovation, nevermind “changemaking”, as a valid career option because… it’s not presented as one. The pathway is unknown, unclear or intimidating compared to well-worn academic tracks and professions that benefit from the weight of tradition.
But what if — crazytalk — schools validated and outlined a social impact pathway, and inspired and equipped young people to choose it? How might that affect their learning, worldview, and, say, college decisions? Or even college offerings? The best way to create more worldsaver types — including social intrapreneurs in corporate settings — is, ironically, the most boring approach: normalize the work and bring it directly to young people upstream of tradition (see: disruption). The sooner kids are practicing empathy, embracing complex problems, testing solutions, failing forward, and seeing a professional track for this work, the more likely they will follow it. Schools have a monopoly on youth development, and — as part of the larger project of beating creativity out of kids — are failing to inspire and equip them to even consider saving the world. Social innovation programming can disrupt that monopoly. Avenues can, and should, lead by example.
What does this work look like? Are other schools doing it?
Increasingly, yes! And it looks awesome and inspiring and gives me hope that we (Avenues, and schooling broadly) are on the right track! I’ll address this question next, with some short case studies, and a (what is sure to be flawed) foray at codifying “social innovation education”.
CLICK HERE! fodder, links, musings
In newsletter style, I’m debuting a section to accompany these readings: relevant fodder that builds on ideas presented above and is meant to connect the “SI Education” concept to broader issues and topics in the field. Also, I wish to trap you on the internet for hours.
Quote: More on “wicked problem”, one of my favorite terms. Here is how design guru Jon Kolko, founder of Austin Center for Design (AC4D), puts it:
This is one of my fave paragraphs from an essential “Ed for SI” reading.
Concept: spiral dynamics > Maslow’s hierarchy.
Don’t let the weird graphic deter you from jumping down this rabbit hole of self-actualization. Wrap your mind around the color coding as confidently as Turqouise Person envelops Yellow Person. Then consider the implications of most of the human population and power residing in the blue and orange zones… . But hey — cute graphic!
Tweet: Winners Take All
Just in time for Davos, the best show on social impact Twitter right now is Anand Giridharadas promoting Winners Take All and crusading against Philanthrocapitalism, an “elite charade” in which billionaires dedicate comparatively minor amounts to “solving” major social problems, without recognizing the inconvenient truth that they have often helped create or prolong them along their path to riches.
Anand’s is the most recent and sharp-tongued tweetstorm in a multi-front war that includes, on the philanthropy/policy side, Small Change by Michael Edwards; on the economics/anthropology side, Jason Hickel; and from a sustainability perspective, Jeremy Lent; and, more broadly, anything critical of Stephen Pinker’s Enlightenment Now.
Podcast: Ross Hall of Ashoka on Harvard EdCast
Looping back to this article’s essential question: Why do we exist?, this short, sweet 12min interview provides a nice framing for the imperative of SI Education. Ross and Ashoka focus on developing empathy and whole-child education as the foundation for developing a changemaker mentality. Enjoy!
Ashoka is of course the OG of Changemaker (Social Innovation?) Education — they have tons of materials including great stories (or case studies) of changemakers around the world, and a database of global fellows. Amazing resource.
#SocialImpactChallenge until next month’s edition: open all the links in this newsletter, read all the content, and tweet your responses to @zoltero…
See you next round!
