Service Learning as a Social Enterprise: The case of the Social Entrepreneurship Program at the University of St. Thomas

The University of St. Thomas Social Entrepreneurship Program (SEP) is one of the many programs at institutions of higher education worldwide promoting the development of all kinds of social enterprises. SEP is a co-curricular,... [ view full abstract ]

The University of St. Thomas Social Entrepreneurship Program (SEP) is one of the many programs at institutions of higher education worldwide promoting the development of all kinds of social enterprises. SEP is a co-curricular, service-learning program assisting impoverished individuals in the US and around the globe to develop their own businesses.

We accomplish this by transferring know how and whenever possible, financial resources to local organizations we call field partners in very impoverished and marginalized communities around the world. These organizations are present in the community, have a history and a reputation and are interested on expanding or improving the services they provide. The idea is to help these communities overcome the vicious cycle of poverty, while creating a new language in the world of free market economics: a language of respect, dignity and fairness. A new discourse that promotes the powerful axiom economist Manfred Max Neef defends so vividly: human beings are not to serve the economy. Instead, the economy is to serve human beings.

Due to the practical work conducted at these communities, the Social Entrepreneurship Program is the sponsor of qualitative and quantitative research. No doubt the timeline and standards that we use to measure the impact of our project and entrepreneurial success are different from the traditional timelines and standards found in the corporate world. We are here, however, to generate know-how and to improve best practices. As the program has expanded, we have gotten better at promoting, sponsoring and facilitating student engagement. Students have represented SEP at prestigious conferences, or traveled to remote areas of the world to conduct assessments or meet our partners. Under the umbrella of the Center for International Studies, the program offers an elective class on Social Entrepreneurship and this course includes a study abroad/service learning component offering students the opportunity to visit, study and work at some of the communities where SEP is present either implementing or evaluating a project. Due to the multidisciplinary approach to the development of successful social businesses implemented by the program, this course is open to pretty much every student and area of expertise, from education to psychology, health care to finance, marketing or business administration.

The paper also discuss in depth the creation of a new Certificate on Social Enterprise that can become a model at institutions for higher education trying to promote self employment and social entrepreneurship among their graduates. An endowment has been established thanks to the generosity of a visionary impact investor. The funds generated by such endowment will be used to create an annual seed money award to the best social enterprise start-up developed during the length of the Certificate. In addition, all the students enrolled in this program will have access to a pool of angel investors and a group of experts in the field, so they can transform their ideas into successful social enterprise start ups.

As the privileged minority of the world that has had access to college education, we have a very special and important responsibility. This paper shares the program’s experience with the intention to contribute to the conversation and the collective construction of what it means to be a social entrepreneur. Our intention is to create awareness among our readers and inspire them to become the change they want to see. At SEP we are in the business of creating a social movement of responsible, aware and educated individuals that could plant the seed of a must needed social revolution for the viability of our planet and the life it sustains.