Program Portfolio Social Innovation Projects
An introduction to the on-campus internship program through the Ballard Center for Economic Self-Reliance at Brigham Young University.
Alonso Valenzuela Business Management SIP Project: Google Community Leaders Program, Fall 2014
Program Portfolio Social Innovation Projects
This Program Portfolio is a resource for organizations that are interested in partnering with Social Innovation Projects (SIP). With the assistance of the Ballard Center for Economic Self-Reliance, SIP partners with socially innovative organizations to provide meaningful on-campus internship for students. This portfolio contains four example projects completed by previous student interns.
“The Ballard Center gives students an opportunity to be anxiously engaged in a good cause while simultaneously developing analytical skills and experience useful for success in the private and public sectors.� -Dane Nielsen Perpetual Education Fund
Do Good. Better. with the Ballard Center The Ballard Center is dedicated to helping students learn how to serve organizations, their communities, and the world at large through teaching them principles of social innovation. The Ballard Center’s mantra, Do Good. Better., challenges attitudes towards service. The “Better.” stands alone grammatically in the same way that social innovation rejects the masses of other solutions in order to accomplish something singularly effective. Regardless of a student’s background or skillset, they can learn to contribute to the world around them in a more effective and innovative way. The more social innovators in the world, the more people there will be to start social ventures, serve on boards, lead corporations to greater social responsibility and improve companies, homes, neighborhoods and communities. Some believe in the adage: “Give a man to fish; feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish; feed him for a lifetime.” At the Ballard Center, we know that self-reliance is the goal of smart philanthropy. To Do Good. Better., you can’t just teach a man to fish, you must teach him how to sell a fish as well. The fisherman’s knot, as seen in the Ballard Center’s logo, is a symbol of the Ballard Center’s mission and a constant reminder to Do Good. Better.
About
Social Innovation Projects Social Innovation Projects (SIP) is an on-campus internship program in which a team of 3-5 students is paired with a socially innovative organization. When a match is made, students are required to complete an average of 9 hours of work a week to receive university credit for the semester they are assigned to a project. Teams work with partner organizations who innovate solutions for the world’s most pressing social problems such as poverty, health care, education, and economic development. By providing hands-on experience with these organizations, SIP gives students from all majors a deeper understanding of how to Do Good. Better.
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Ryu Kosaka Economics SIP Project: Perpetual Education Fund, Fall 2014
On-Campus Internships Many organizations face the same problem: Interns come in swarms during the summer, but then return to school between September and May. SIP’s on-campus internship model is the innovative solution. Students involved in SIP work remotely for partners while receiving guidance/feedback from an organization mentor and oversight from Ballard Center staff. Students receive university credit, giving them experience while also keeping them on track to graduate.
Award-Winning Program Ashoka is the largest network of social entrepreneurs worldwide, providing start-up financing, professional support services, and connections to nearly 3,000 Ashoka Fellows in 70 countries. In 2011, Ashoka’s university initiative, Ashoka U, awarded SIP (formerly Students for Social Entrepreneurship, SSE) the Cordes Innovation Award for its unique student-led, credit bearing on-campus internship model. Then in 2012, BYU was recognized as an Ashoka U Changemaker Campus for its success in combining social innovation with the university’s motto to “Enter to Learn. Go Forth to Serve.”
Interdisciplinary Students from all majors on campus including both undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to apply.This interdisciplinary model allows us to tailor teams to the needs of each project, benefitting from the access to a diverse campus community to recruit students or professors. In 2013, SIP accepted student interns from more than 24 different majors and emphases. Since 2009, SIP has placed more than 700 students in on-campus projects with partner organizations.
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Intern Selection Process Students must apply to participate in SIP. They are reviewed and interviewed to determine their past participation with the Ballard Center, interest in a social issue or a social enterprise, academic performance, experiences, and language ability (if required for the project). If a student is not a good fit for SIP, there are many other Ballard Center programs and classes that can make them a stronger candidate in the future.
Project Selection Process Partners should be purposeful about the projects they select for their team. It should be challenging enough to be rewarding for the students while still being achievable in the time frame specified. The time frames for these projects are predetermined by BYU’s academic calendar. Projects can run for a full semester, a half semester, and at most two semesters. We encourage partners to give the students as much creative leeway to see how innovative they can be, after all these are “Social Innovation Projects”. When picking a project, partners should consider the aspects of their organization they would change, improve, or add if they had more time or staff. Ballard Center staff can help identify good projects based on our years of working with a variety of organizations to accomplish a variety of tasks.
Project Examples In the past, SIP interns have completed projects related to: Social Media Marketing, Research and Survey Analysis, Program Building and Testing, Manual Design, and Recruitment and Event Planning.
Grace Mburu Public Administration SIP Project: Perpetual Education Fund, Fall 2014
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Google Community Leaders Program Partner The Google Community Leaders Program is one of Google’s corporate social responsibility efforts which pairs university students with local business owners and minorities to increase digital literacy. Problem When Google looked to initiate their CLP program here in Provo, UT they needed to make community connections and determine best practices for increasing digital literacy in the community. They had the resources and curriculum to help teach people but without a community presence their service would go unutilized. Project The Community Leaders Program came to Provo, UT in 2013. Over two semesters, 12 students collaborated with a variety of community organizations (Centro Hispano, the United Way of Utah County, and Provo’s small business group Downtown Provo, Inc.) to create awareness, recruit participants, and teach individuals and small businesses online resources for skill development and growing their business. Impact CLP now has a strong presence in all three programs. Over the past two years, more than 300 individuals have been taught how to better utilize the online resources that will help them improve their utilization of all the internet has to offer. The small business team increased by 50 percent the number of businesses that have an online presence. The Centro Hispano team instructed 70 students in online skills and assisted 2 local hispanic businesses with SEO and social media. The United Way team taught more than 100 students and increased activity at the local South Franklin Community Center. Google also took time to mentor the student interns, creating a rich experience for all involved. This also resulted in job placement after graduation for three student leaders on the project.
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Google CLP students, community partners, and Ballard Center staff.
“I think my favorite aspect of CLP is that what we’re doing really changes people’s lives. Watching them go from learning a basic tool to preparing a resume to take into the real world is so rewarding. I didn’t know I could make such a difference through an internship!” -Lehla Kisor Linguistics, Google Community Leaders Program, 2012-2014
CLP student Trevor Morgan teaches digital literacy with the help of Centro Hispano.
Mayor John Curtis has fun with kids at the South Franklin Community Center.
“Working with the students has been an absolute pleasure. It is incredible to see everyone come together for a common cause in the community. We try not to give all the direction and answers for how to operate the program. As the students struggle and work through solutions they are typically better than what we thought of originally!” -John Merrifield Google Community Leaders Program
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A Fundación Paraguaya employee uses the Poverty Stoplight program.
One of Fundación Paraguaya’s clients in Paraguay.
“ Participating in this social innovation internship has given me an idea as to how development work can be more organized, involve technology, and become more effective overall. The whole experience has shown me how to Do Good. Better.” -Alexandra Gillett Latin American Studies, Fundación Paraguaya, 2013-2014
Fundación Paraguaya assists entrepreneurs in Paraguay.
Martin Burt speaks at a BYU event in 2013.
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Fundación Paraguaya Partner Fundación Paraguaya is a self-sustainable, not-for-profit social enterprise in Paraguay working to develop innovative and practical solutions to eliminate poverty and create decent living conditions for every family in Paraguay and around the world. They do so through their three main programs: 1) Self-sustainable schools; 2) Microfinance; and 3) Entrepreneurial Education. Fundación Paraguaya has also developed the Poverty Stoplight: a transverse participatory approach to poverty elimination. Fundación Paraguaya’s founder, Martin Burt, has won various awards including BYU’s Social Innovator of the Year. Problem Fundación Paraguaya has created a multidimensional pattern-breaking solution to poverty called the Poverty Stoplight. Through a visual survey, families self-assess their level of poverty in 50 indicators grouped into 6 dimensions. Based on these assessments, families are able to define their poverty level and set manageable goals to improve their situation one indicator at a time. Due to the success of this program, Fundación Paraguaya is now sharing and teaching other organizations around the world how to adapt and implement this methodology. Because there is a high interest around the world to scale the methodology, Fundación Paraguaya needs support to develop the necessary tools and process to collaborate with different organizations around the world. Projects BYU students have collaborated with Fundación Paraguaya on two projects for scaling the Poverty Stoplight. In early 2014, a team of 4 interns developed an easy-to-use replication manual for organizations looking to replicate this methodology that teaches field workers and other about the 50 indicators and its 6 dimensions, and how to adapt them to local contect. Another team of 5 students developed a “Menu of Solutions”, a thorough research project which sought for “best practices” for the solution of the Poverty Stoplight indicators. Fundación Paraguaya seeks to use this database to develop new innovations to poverty elimination and to leverage resources in the different countries where it is replication this methodology. Impact Since the manual was completed, Fundación Paraguaya has began utilizing it with its partner organizations replicating the methodology. This simple easy-to-use manual can guide organizations in the process of adapting the poverty stoplight indicators and developing a strategy for implementation of the methodology. Being able to leave behind a manual where notes can be taken also increases the effectiveness of the learning. Through the collaboration with the Ballard Center, Fundación Paraguaya has also been able to create marketing materials including short videos to share about their mission, serve as subject matter for a case competition, host a number of interns for the summer, and will soon be working with the Ballard center to build a website to supplement the manual.
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Solutions Journalism Network Partner The Solutions Journalism Network works to legitimatize and spread the practice of solutions journalism: rigorous and compelling reporting on the responses to social problems. The solutions journalism network hopes that this practice change in journalism will provide audiences a truer, more complete picture of their world, leading to increased engagement with the news, more constructive public discourse, and more effective changemaking across society. Problem The Solutions Journalism Network wanted to understand whether people engaged differently with solutions stories than they did with stories about problems. Understanding and quantifying audience engagement would help The Solutions Journalism Network discuss the practice of solutions journalism with newsroom leaders, and with potential funders. Project A team of 3 students worked with The Solutions Journalism Network to design and interpret the results of a nationwide survey that tested people’s responses to three story pairs, each containing one solutions version and one non-solutions version. Once the data was collected, a final report was generated. Impact The team found that people may be more likely to share and talk about solutions-oriented stories than stories that don’t feature solutions. Those who consume solutions-oriented stories also are more likely to feel that problems can be solved, and to say that they want to be involved in solutions. The Solutions Journalism Network has shared these findings widely, and they have been reported in numerous journalism-related blogs and publications, strengthening the case for reporters and editors to adopt the solutions approach.
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James Brandenburg
Kali Smith
Debbie Adams
“Social Innovation Projects is beneficial because it teaches you what it feels like to deal with a client and that you have to deliver what they want. When I walked into internships for my program, I already knew how to communicate with a client and talk over issues we might have constructively.” -James Brandenburg, Public Relations, Solutions Journalism Network, Winter 2014
“The team was disciplined enough to smoothly manage the work flow, keeping to weekly deadlines with an appreciation for the time and work that would be required to actually execute the survey and analyze the results at the end. . . It’s a document that we feel completely comfortable sharing with our key constituents.” An excerpt from the report designed by the student team.
-Keith Hammonds Solutions Journalism Network
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A screenshot of the PEF Self-Reliance webpage.
“I learned though this internship that there are many people in need of our efforts to give them hope to reach their potential. We may not see the fruits of work right away, but we can have the assurance that we are making a great impact on others.� -Willy Zuzunaga, Economics, Perpetual Education Fund, 2013-2014
Perpetual Education Fund Partner The Perpetual Education Fund (PEF) is a program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that provides loans for vocational, professional, and technical training at a low interest rate. PEF also helps members become spiritually and temporally self-reliant through self-reliance centers and groups focused on (1) starting and growing a business, (2) searching for a job, and (3) pursuing education for better work. Problem With the expansion of a new self-reliance program, the Perpetual Education Fund needs to provide more services and resources to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who will participate in the self-reliance program. Project More than 60 BYU students assisted in three projects: (1) Identifying and evaluating microfinance institutions and credit unions in 37 countries that members can visit to receive micro-business loans; (2) Aggregating online resources on employment, self-employment, and education in 10 major languages; and (3) Summarizing books on self-reliance topics.
“Joining efforts with a small army of the best and brightest students at the BYU Ballard Center has allowed the Perpetual Education Fund to stay on the forefront of creativity and productivity in the Social Innovation sector, and therefore able to provide resources that bless the lives of millions of members worldwide.”
Impact The Global Financial Institution teams have identified and approved -Dane Nielsen 12,019 microfinance and credit union branches in 38 countries, reachPerpetual Education Fund ing more than 7.1 million members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Online Resource Library teams have recommended 1,178 online resources in 165 countries, reaching 6 million members. Now, a member can approach an institution knowing they won’t be subject to harmful or illegal practices. Members will also have a database of the top resources on employment, self-employment, education, etc. knowing they are quality resources.
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Get Involved
with Social Innovation Projects Students We encourage all BYU students to apply to a Social Innovation Project! Apply or learn more at power.byu.edu. Email questions to sip@byu.edu.
Potential Partners Do you have a need for an on-campus team of social innovators? Contact us to learn more! Alicia Becker Ballard Center Partner Relations Manager (801) 422-6920 a.becker@byu.edu Ballard Center for Economic Self-Reliance Brigham Young University, Marriott School 360 TNRB Provo, UT 84602 (801) 422-5283 office (801) 422-0385 fax ballardcenter@byu.edu
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Other Ballard Center Programs The Ballard Center provides a variety of programs to educate students about social innovation and help them get involved on and off campus. Visit ballardcenter.byu.edu to learn more! • • • • • •
Off-Campus Internships Social Venture Academy Peery Film Festival TEDxBYU Undergraduate Changemaker Club Social Impact Masters at BYU Association
Kristine Wait International Relations SIP Project: Ashoka Canada, Winter 2014
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Social Innovation Leadership Council Social Innovation Solution Case Competition Social Entrepreneurship Lecture Series “Do Good. Better.” Course Social Innovation Masters Class Social Innovation Design Lab