CEL Brochure

SANDS CENTER FOR

ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP

springside chestnut hill academy

SANDS CENTER FOR

ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP The Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership is committed to developing an entrepreneurial mindset and skillset in every student at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy.

This innovative program enhances Pre-K–12 education with learning opportunities and classes that empower students to shape their futures and the world.

BUSINESS + DESIGN + TECHNOLOGY

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program overview

BUILDING AN ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET & SKILLSET At SCH, entrepreneurship is an approach to problem solving. The CEL program prioritizes the development of four key traits that comprise the entrepreneurial mindset: opportunity seeking, creative problem solving, resiliency, and resourcefulness. Equipped with this mindset, our students take on interesting challenges that connect with their passions and graduate with a competitive advantage. To instill this mindset in every student, CEL is integrated into the Pre-K–12 school experience. Project-based challenges in the classroom provide an opportunity for students to build this way of thinking while practicing entrepreneurial skills in the areas of business, design, and technology.

The Pre-K–9th grade curriculum is embedded into the student’s schedule, building toward a Capstone experience in which all sophomores launch a venture. In 11th and 12th grade, students can continue to pursue their ventures through a variety of electives and independent study opportunities, including the Venture Accelerator. Students interested in launching a venture prior to the 10th grade are encouraged to apply to the selective Venture Incubator extracurricular.

OPPORTUNITY SEEKING See and experience problems as opportunities in order to create solutions.

MINDSET RESILIENCY

Work diligently to overcome adversity and develop perseverance in pursuit of goals.

CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

RESOURCEFULNESS

Create solutions to problems without clearly defined structures using design thinking, exploration, and creativity.

Independently seek out resources and references to advance the development of projects and ventures.

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Rekha ’17

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The Challenge: Involve more young women in protecting the environment.

The Solution: The Girls Climate Summit

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REKHA

CEL was so much more than just technical skills. The program really fostered resiliency in me. I learned how to think about problems in a multifaceted way and to come up with creative solutions.

The lessons I learned through CEL have been applicable in all aspects of life, especially now that I am in college.

An annual event to educate young women on climate change, featuring workshops, speakers, presentations, team-building activities, and thought-provoking conversations.

Brown University, Class of 2021 Presenter at TEDx Invited speaker to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

Below and on the following pages, CEL’s curricular sequence is graphically expressed through the yellow dots.

PRE-K–4th GRADE

5th-9th GRADE

10th GRADE

11th-12th GRADE

Lower School students work in teams to solve real-world problems using empathy, creativity, and design thinking.

Every SCH student learns business, design, and technology skills through project-based CEL courses.

Students launch a unique venture inspired by their passions and supported by their strengths.

Select students go beyond the classroom to build personal networks and pursue their “big idea.”

SKILLSET

VENTURE INCUBATOR

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VENTURE ACCELERATOR

pre-k– 4 th

design challenges

4th GRADE BOYS The Challenge: Every year, Pre-K–4th grade students tackle at least one unique CEL project. They channel boundless creativity and curiosity into real-world challenges by solving problems for others, including peers, school leaders, and even animals. Students are often inspired to pursue environmentally focused ventures as they observe the nature surrounding our campus. Through these design-thinking experiences, they learn to see problems as opportunities to create solutions.

Make it easier for new students, visitors, and classmates to make friends.

The Solution: Friend-Making Spaces The boys created spaces throughout the school campus where students can meet and interact by playing games together. They also created a series of videos to encourage the use of these spaces.

5th-9th

skills-based courses

To execute their entrepreneurial ideas, students need a foundational skillset that requires knowledge in areas outside of a traditional education. The CEL curriculum is the product of a cross-disciplinary collaboration in business, design, and technology and serves as a model for the creative problem solving we ask of our students.

All SCH students experience this curriculum starting in the 5th grade. CEL classes provide the supportive space to experiment, play, and learn from failure. Expert faculty guide students through project-based experiences that engage their entrepreneurial mindset and provide them with the technical skills they will need to bring their ideas to life.

5th

6th

7th

8th

9th

LEGO Robotics

Introduction to Coding

Creative Problem Solving

Electronics & Microprocessors

Digital Storytelling-Audio

Digital Storytelling-Video

Media & Presentation

Digital Publishing

Intro to App Development

Social Entrepreneurship

Collaboration & Teamwork

Design & Prototyping

Money Matters

Research, Data & Analysis

Adventures in New Media

SKILLS LEARNED THROUGH THE CEL CURRICULUM Business | New Media | Coding | Engineering | Communication | Collaboration

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Design & Fabrication

Every day Sophie and I learn something new about ourselves and how we can constantly improve our business tactics, marketing strategies, customer service, and website functionality.

Paige ’18 5

pre-k–9th cour

Pre-K –

6th

5th

4th

DESIGN CHALLENGES

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Our youngest learners begin to develop their entrepreneurial mindsets through project-based activities as they design solutions to problems observed around them. To provide a safe place for hibernating insects over the winter, Kindergartners designed and built a “Mini-Beast Mansion” in our woods.

Students research entrepreneurs in developing regions of the world who are seeking funding. They create small businesses to raise funds and use the proceeds to make microloans to those entrepreneurs through the KIVA network. To date, students in this course have made 107 loans to 39 countries, totaling over $4,500.

LEGO ROBOTICS Students explore the expansive world of LEGO EV3 robotics. Through daily challenges, they gain experience in the basics of building and construction, using sensors that read the environment and follow and interact with other robots.

For additional course descriptions, visit us online at sch.org/CEL. 6

se highlights

7th

8th

9th

MEDIA AND PRESENTATION

MONEY MATTERS

INTRO TO APP DEVELOPMENT

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Students explore the variety of factors that drive the economy and how those factors affect their lives. Through project-based learning experiences, they learn the fundamentals of both personal finance, as well as the costs and considerations of starting a small business.

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In order to bring an idea to life, students must be able to communicate clearly and compellingly, making use of the latest in digital technology and video.

In this 7th grade course, each student is tasked with crafting an original ‘TED Talk,’ culminating in a live presentation and media showcase.

Students learn the foundations of app development through a blended learning experience of online tutorials and oneon-one mentorship. Students have the opportunity to apply this learning to their own original application in the 10th grade Capstone program.

What really drew me to the CEL program is the fact that kids aren’t only encouraged to find innovative, interesting solutions to the everyday problems they see around them but they’re also given a chance and opportunity to make change happen.

Emma ’20

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10th

the capstone

All SCH sophomores engage in the CEL Capstone—a unique, self-directed project design experience. With the support of dedicated faculty mentors and access to specialized studios, students bring ideas inspired by their personal passions to life using the business, design, and technology skills learned in previous CEL classes.

Students may elect to continue their work in their junior and senior years through the Venture Accelerator.

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THE CAPSTONE PROCESS

Discover

Define

Design

Deliver

DECIDE on the problem you want to solve. Analyze the market space and competition.

Pitch your idea to an audience of teachers and peers.

REFLECT and brainstorm to determine possible solutions. Build a team, select a mentor, and get started.

BUILD your prototype.

Gather data from customers.

Prove that your idea can make a real impact.

DEMONSTRATE your work at Capstone Showcase Night.

Reflect on lessons learned and next steps.

Fred ’18 8

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CEL taught me how to evaluate, prototype, and test my ideas. My love for entrepreneurship was spurred and I started to observe and track all the pain points in my life, eager to come up with solutions. CEL made me decide that I want to pursue entrepreneurship in the future and make the world a better place.

Our 10th graders join one of five studios (App, Invention, New Media, Social Impact, Startup) as their “home base� for the duration of Capstone. The studios are led by an interdisciplinary team of CEL mentors who provide personalized support to each project. This collaborative environment encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning as they share ideas, receive feedback, and discover more about themselves.

App

STUDIOS Invention

New Media

ALEX

The Challenge:

Design a more affordable alternative to the EpiPen, which delivers epinephrine to someone having an allergic reaction.

The Solution: The Auto Injector Alex developed his first prototype using easily modifiable LEGO blocks. He now has a 3D-printed version and is continuing to refine the device with the support of Capstone instructors and subject matter experts in design, manufacturing, and patent law.

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Social Impact

Startup

venture accelerator Students in their junior and senior years are eligible to apply for the Venture Accelerator. This culminating experience gives students the chance to fully launch the ideas that they have investigated, tested, and prototyped through the Capstone and Venture Incubator programs. Venture Accelerator students connect with various mentors and investors, hire staff, file for trademarks and legal business entities, sell in the marketplace, and raise initial startup capital.

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ANDREW

Wharton, Class of 2022 Diamond Challenge Competition Winner TYE Youth Entrepreneurship Finalist

The Challenge: Transform the way that students research and apply to college.

The Solution: CampusSelect

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What drew me to CEL is that you can take an idea from scratch and build it into something real. It put me in the driver’s seat. I had to be disciplined and stay determined. I was able to grow my personal network, discover new opportunities, and create a real, impactful business. I am grateful for CEL—it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, especially for students with passion and ambition.

Andrew ’18

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A web platform that connects high school students in the college search process to current, likeminded undergraduates through video chat.

venture incubator The CEL Venture Incubator is an extracurricular opportunity open to students below 10th grade who are interested in developing a business venture. Individuals and teams submit their ideas for review and, if selected, are partnered with external mentors who help them navigate the various phases of taking an idea from rough concept to authentic outcome. Throughout the process, students are given the opportunity to pitch their business plans to seasoned investors and entrepreneurs.

Gretel ’25

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Being a part of this program and learning from it not only helped me start a business, but helped me with general problem solving and public speaking. I learned an entrepreneur solves problems with perseverance but doesn’t need to be afraid to ask for help.

Working with my mentors helped me learn to lay out what I need to do, organize my thoughts, and end up with a better final product.

I learned how to take a thought, put it into action, and be a better speaker.

GRETEL

The Problem: Provide a fun, simple, and inexpensive way for kids to learn basic art techniques.

The Solution: Artist First Step A monthly subscription box service delivering high-quality art supplies right to your doorstep. With these materials, young artists follow along with Artist First Step instructional videos to complete crafts like mandala drawing, watercolor landscapes, and handmade postcards.

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Wharton, Class of 2021 Volunteer of the Year, Boys & Girls Club of Philadelphia

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Annabel ’17

ANNABEL The Challenge: Teach young children in Philadelphia the importance of nutrition and exercise.

The Solution: Philly Phit In partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Philadelphia, Philly Phit offers a fun, energizing, educational program. Each week, SCH student volunteers teach children about healthy eating habits and exercise through games, activities, and cooking lessons.

Although Annabel has graduated from SCH, Philly Phit lives on as a student volunteer program.

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CEL taught me how to represent myself. Anytime I pitched my business, I was learning to tell my personal story and convey my passion. Now that I am in a leadership position in college, I use these skills to recruit volunteers, network with professors, and work with clients. CEL set me on a pathway to success.

cel staff Ed Glassman Executive Director eglassman@sch.org 215-261-6966

The Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership is exploring new ways of innovating in the Pre-K–12 environment. I am so impressed to see students create their own ventures using design thinking, technology, and collaboration skills to solve big problems and make a positive and lasting impact on the world around them.

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Jessica Stokes Associate Director jstokes@sch.org 215-248-7597

Barbara “Bobbi” Kurshan, Executive Director of Academic Innovation and Senior Fellow in Education, Graduate School

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of Education, University of Pennsylvania

In CEL, while learning how to identify problems in the world around them and create businesses with the potential to solve these problems, our kids are also using their education in ways we couldn’t previously imagine. Watching a child stand in front of a room full of seasoned business people and articulate their economic model and go-to-market strategy will forever change your opinion of what kids are capable of.

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By emphasizing an entrepreneurial mindset and integrating problem solving and design thinking across the curriculum, the Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership gives SCH students a competitive advantage in our rapidly changing job market.

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Michael Golden, Co-Founder of GSI Commerce and SCH Parent

Ian P. Sladen, Vice President of Corporate Education and Career Development, Drexel University

springside chestnut hill academy 500 West Willow Grove Avenue • Philadelphia, PA 19118-4198 215-247-7007 | SCH.ORG