Here's a story about how members of the Changemakers community are promoting globalization in Mexico:
In Mazunte, a small town on Mexico's Pacific coast, the owners of a cooperatively owned cosmetics company dubbed their brand new factory the "Miracle of Mazunte."
Shortly after the closing of what was once the town's sole employer—Mexico’s largest sea turtle slaughterhouse—the Mazunte Natural Cosmetics factory was able to replace lost jobs. But to survive, the owners had to prove that their environmentally friendly venture could be a commercial success. Today, the factory has become a cornerstone of the entire region's economy—making it even more of a miracle than expected.
Read more about this solution, or discuss this topic below.
Created on 07/13/2009 by Elizabeth
When it comes to genetic food engineering, claims are often made about farmers ability and interest to adapt. And how about vitamin-rich rice? ... Are these realities or misrepresentations? Tell us what you think here
[Also check out our GMO Risk or Rescue competition. Share your idea or initiative to get noticed and to be eligible for various prizes. Submit your entry by October 21, 2009.]
Created on 06/9/2009 by htcgroup
Join the Geotourism Challenge Changemakers group to share ideas and opinions about issues impacting destination stewardship and wisely managed tourism.
Hear about best practices, identify solutions to key challenges, and link to resources that may help you overcome obstacles and succeed as a changemaker in geotourism. Each week will focus on a specific issue; join the dialogue now and tell your story.
Created on 04/10/2013 by Emmanuel Mitakis
In order to reduce health care costs caused by nocebo effect of western medicines to immigrants, Hellenic Society of Ethnopharmacology plans to train Greek doctors by using traditional healers. An e-application will be also created in order to facilitate a common (medico-cultural) language between doctor and patient.
Organization: Helenic society of Ethnopharmacology ( Ελληνική Εταιρεία Εθνοφαρμακολογίας)
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Helenic society of Ethnopharmacology ( Ελληνική Εταιρεία Εθνοφαρμακολογίας)
Organization's Country of Operation
Type of Organization
Non‐profit/NGO
Year of launch of the organization
Years in Operation
Operating for more than 5 years
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
The organization haw received multiple honors from Hellenic Pharmacists association, being a key consultant in Continuous Pharmaceutical Education in phytotherapy issues
We want to hear about your “Aha!” moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution’s potential to change the world.
Hellenic society of Ethnopharmacology was founded on 1995 from a group of community pharmacists & academics who realized listening to stories from their patients regarding several traditional therapies of domestic origin that were evidently effective and safe if given under minimum supervision. They created this NGO in order to study the effect of traditional therapies to western people.
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Decreasing Nocebo effect of drugs to immigrants by collaboration of traditional healers with medical institutions
Explain what the "innovation" is about, e.g., is it the idea and/or the model you use to accomplish the idea, or your understanding of the target population, etc.?
There is ignorance of the health culture of immigrant patients. Training & e-application could dramatically improve medical communication between doctor and non western patient. The innovation comes from the collaboration of traditional healers with domestic doctors for the creation of a common guide that could be used by all medical institutions
Describe how your innovation model is distinct from any other organization in your field?
There is no other model. This is the first aproach in Greece to facilitate collaboration of traditional healers with medical institutions.
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
Hellenic Society of Ethnopharmacology (HSE) is the official consultant of Hellenic Community Pharmacists Association in phytotherapy issues. HSE is a member of IDEEAF (pls see http://www.ideeaf.gr/onboard), the certified training institute of pharmacists. HSE Collaborates with universities (Medicine, pharmacy, anthropology, ethnology), but also with NGOs dealing with ethnoconservation & biodiversity, HSE has also close relation to alternative medicine institutions & associations. Therefore, HSE has a very vast spectrum of networking starting from traditional healers, up to key medical opinion leaders. Therefore, HSE has a very positive influence in educating health professionals in alternative medicine issues, including the western point of view.
How do you make sure you constantly innovate in light of (potential) external challenges, or your growth plan?
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThe systemic challenge you are trying to overcome (select one)
Realign the incentives in the public healthcare system in mature markets, or
Health area (target market) where the need is [select only one]
Primary healthcare services
Categories along the health continuum you are covering [select all that apply]
Intervention, Follow-up.
Please describe in more detail: what problem are you trying to solve in the organization's specific context?
According to anthropologist Claude Levi Strauss, health is a part of civilization. Therefore, different civilizations express different health cultures.The most common characteristic of health cultures,is the establishment of a triangle of trust between the "healer", the "patient" and the treatment. When people are forced to migrate to other countries, they find civilizations that they do not know and / or cannot adopt. Consequently, while they have very limited access to therapy, very often do not trust the therapeutic intervention because they do not trust the civilization of the receptive country. That creates nocebo effects to patients. Doctors cannot solve this issue as they cannot understand the language AND the health culture of immigrant patients. This increases health costs.
Stage that best applies to your solution [select only one]
Idea (poised to launch)
Core strategies of your business model [select all that apply]
Approaches to behavioral change at the individual level, Patient-centered design, Unconventional partnerships (between traditional healthcare players and players outside healthcare).
Most relevant tools you are using to implement the strategies outlined above [select only two]
New skills, Consultation, Education/training.
Please describe your solution in more detail
1. Educate doctors in different health cultures by providing them an approved compilation of
non western medicine & treatment approaches, to western treatment approaches by
using traditional healers that have also studied western medicine.
2. Create a multilingual e-application that will compile diagnostic findings to different health cultures
/languages in order to speed up communication between doctor & patient.
3. Identify sources of traditional drugs that could be provided by the doctor to the patient in order to
build trust relationships between the doctor and the pharmacist. These therapies might be used to
increase safety of the western drug by increasing placebo.
What are your vision and overall objectives?
Vision: Decrease health care costs due to immigration by incorporating traditional therapies to western treatment protocols in a way that :
1. establishes trust relationships between the western doctor and the non western patient
2.anticipates limited market access of western drugs to immigrants by providing them drugs of their
culture that the know, accept, and respect
3. helps western doctor understand different health cultures and use this knowledge to increase
patient compliance
Objective:
create an e-application that can be used by both doctors, traditional healers companies and patients that shall facilitate communication on description of symptoms, diagnosis and treatment based on at least three different non western cultures (Ayurveda, Yunnan, and Chinese)
What is your value proposition?
Who is your customer(s)?
doctors that come or will potential come in contact with immigrant patients
traditional healers
immigrants
What approaches to you use to reach your customers?
for patients:capitalization of NGOs ( trusted and respected from immigrants) that are very successful on defusing good news to target populations (homeless people, immigrants, minorities etc)
for doctors / medical institutions: Multi-channel activities & personal visits to the boards of their associations
What are your primary activities?
identification of traditional healers that understand the language of "evidence based medicine"
selection of doctors that are experienced in working with immigrants. Creation of a working group for the creation of the compilation guide and the training seminar
selection of the agency that will create the convenient application based on the findings of the above mentioned working group.
Who are your peers and competitors? What problems could these players pose to your success or growth?
there is no direct competitor for the moment.
Doctors might reject any "alternative medicine initiative because they might be afraid of an expansion of alternative medicine practice to general population. To overcome this, only traditional therapies that have been approved in pharmacopoeias of countries of origin should be used.
What other challenges - individual, organizational, or environmental – are you currently facing or might hinder future success of your business, and how do you plan to overcome those?
current legislation does not support access to treatments to illegal immigrants (the only exception is acute hospitalizations).
Use of medical NGOs that deal with health coverage of immigrants (ex medecins sans frontieres, ), patient organizations , and other NGOs as well as company CSR programs partially overcomes those problems. T
Briefly describe your growth strategy going forward
What dimensions for growth are you currently targeting for your innovation [select all that apply]
New regions(s).
What makes your business "ready" for growth?
What are your key growth objectives?
What is your timeframe for growth, in the short and mid-term? What are the growth milestones and key activities going forward?
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhat has been the impact of your solution to date?
What methods for quantification of social impact are you applying (if at all)?
number of successful diagnosis as provided by medical NGOs
% of drop outs due to bad compliance as provided by medical NGOs
number of hospitalizations for those patients who used the e-application
nocebo effect pharmacovigilance reports from NGOs
Could your solution work in other geographies or regions? If so, where?
It can work all over the world, particularly in countries that are targeted for imigration
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideElaborate on your current financing strategy
identify and capitalize European community funding programs for fighting poverty and increase social access
Share of revenue generation in total income of organization (in percent)
Direct sales to patients or other beneficiaries (in percent)
Of the possible sources of these sales listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy
Licensing fees, e.g., for technology/franchise model (in percent)
Of the possible sources of these licensing opportunities listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy
Service contract with organizations, e.g., government, NGOs (in percent)
Of the possible sources of the service contracts listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy
Explain your revenue generation strategy in more detail
Share of philanthropy in total income of organization (in percent)
Philanthrophy strategies you are using
Explain your philanthropic approach in more detail
Expand on your selections; explain how you will sustain funding over the next 1-3 years.
Created on 03/31/2013 by SIKAT
Health is a growing concern in Canada. Obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases are approaching epidemic proportions. Food choices play a big role in our health. Like the economic costs of diabetes, which is a $17B annual drag on our economy.
Organization: SIKAT Trading Cooperative
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SIKAT Trading Cooperative
Country where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
Hybrid
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read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
What problem is your organization committed to solving? In particular, share what is innovative about your approach.
Health is a growing concern in Canada. Obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases are approaching epidemic proportions. Food choices play a big role in our health. Like the economic costs of diabetes, which is a $17B annual drag on our economy. Beyond the human toll of this disease, as a result of lost earnings due to lost work days, lower productivity, permanent disability, there is a strong economic argument for concrete action, especially from the food industry to help stem the growth of the disease such as the promotion of healthier food alternatives and their ultimate benefit to one’s over-all well-being. SIKAT’s business of innovatively promoting Philippine healthier food products can lead to the containment of this growing health concern and contribute to the Canadian economy.
What are your organization's top three priorities in the next year?
1. We need to focus on our serious staffing need for highly qualified, committed, and passionate candidates on two fronts:
a.) an articulate, aggressive sales person; and,
b.) carefully recruit members who deeply share our purpose to succeed.
2. Use innovation as our competitive weapon to progress more rapidly. We see this through 3 possible strategic imperatives: product quality, service, and price.
3. The need to articulate clearly the economic value (or cultural or any other value) that the business will bring to the Canadian society in general and to the Filipino community in particular . . . so as to provide “a common ground on how to bridge it.”
Need #1
Staffing Capabilities
Need #2
Peer Benchmarking Analysis
Based on your first choice of the eight technical categories you selected above, what is your specific project need? Please be specific!
SIKAT Trading is a new business cooperative, composed of Filipino professionals/entrepreneurs, without ready access to outside capital, except for small infusions of cash from the founders and members.
All our people work on part-time basis due to their day jobs. To move forward, two key factors confound our present situation:
1) we are ambitious about growth and liquidity, and
2) the rapid pace of business realities endangers our modest growth unsustainable vs. competitors using capital us.
There is need for innovative ideas and the imperative to hire a full-time sales person. We rely only on available time given by members to assist in all aspects of the operations. Thus, we need funds to afford a full-time sales person to bring these ideas to the market; help in assessing our staffing requirement, like in attracting members who can contribute breakthrough ideas to our cooperative; and employer funding from government on hiring employees.
1.
Shares Our Values, Entrepreneurial Spirit, and Vision
3.
Experience and Authority in the Food Wholesale Industry
Will support from American Express be focused on your organization overall or a specific product/service? Please describe.
The support from American Express will be focused on helping the organization to become more effective and efficient to succeed.
Have you focused on the above area previously? If so, please explain, including whether you have worked with outside consultants before.
Yes, this was our focus when we started the business and haven't worked with outside consultants before until only recently, when Vancity strongly suggested to have a consultant on-board to address our immediately establish market/consumer demand. The need for staff has always been discussed in our management and board meetings but haven’t arrived on any concrete ways of doing it as yet.
Are you able to commit 3-5 hours/wk over 10-12 weeks?
Yes
Are you able to meet virtually or at a convenient in-person location?
Yes
Are you able to meet in the city where your organization is based?
Yes
1.
Access potential government funding on job creation.
2.
Identify staffing requirement(s) of the organization.
3.
Hire a full-time sales person.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
SIKAT was incorporated in Feb-22-12 and has now over 20 members. The Cooperators have given us a $10,000 grant to help us in our marketing activities; VanCity Credit Union is helping fund an outside consultant to help us in the demand side. We are now engaged in current talks with suppliers for coconut and organic green banana flour, cocoa, coconut virgin oil, etc. through our SIKAT-appointed Philippine coordinators, in their respective regional areas of coverage. SIKAT is also now officially a member of the Baking Association of Canada and will be participating in the Bakery Congress this coming May 5-6 2013 to meet potential buyers. By the end of the year, to increase our membership participation by 50% and have a consistent and stable purchase orders from prospective buyers/clients.
What is your project future impact after receiving professional support from American Express?
In the early stages of the organization, we need every knowledgeable and professional help we can avail of. The professional support from American Express will be a welcome boost. Learning the ropes from American Express, allows the organization to apply the knowledge in helping achieving our goals, as well as future job creation and recruitment management.
This Entry is about (Issues)
Created on 03/27/2013 by kara@worldwideworkshop.org
Our mission is transforming education for underserved youth, making it accessible, engaging, and relevant. The World Wide Workshop uses technology to create innovative learning opportunities to equally empower all youth--girls and boys, rural and urban, economically and academically struggling--to be inventors and leaders in the global knowledge economy. Our flagship program, Globaloria, gives students with limited access to technology the tools and opportunity to create their own media, not just consume it.
Organization: World Wide Workshop
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United States, NY, New York, New York County
Country where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
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read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Growth (your pilot is up and running, and starting to expand)
What problem is your organization committed to solving? In particular, share what is innovative about your approach.
Our mission is transforming education for underserved youth, making it accessible, engaging, and relevant. The World Wide Workshop uses technology to create innovative learning opportunities to equally empower all youth--girls and boys, rural and urban, economically and academically struggling--to be inventors and leaders in the global knowledge economy. Our flagship program, Globaloria, gives students with limited access to technology the tools and opportunity to create their own media, not just consume it. Our project-based approach to the classroom engages students in personalized learning, community engagement, and better education, equipping all to excel academically and go on to become the next generation of innovators in fields they had no prior hope of joining, let alone leading.
What are your organization's top three priorities in the next year?
Because we are projected to grow not only in our number of consumers, but also in our product and service offerings, our top priorities in the coming year are:
1. To understand our organizational strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, impact, and challenges based on the industry/environment in which we operate.
2. To improve management’s ability to recruit and retain staff based on overall organizational goals, and to be able to succeed in our fast-paced growth and scaling partnerships and impact as we aim to become a leader in impacting our field.
3. To empower management with strategies that increase productivity, joy, and staff engagement as well as to improve our internal quarterly and annual performance reviews.
Need #1
Staffing Capabilities
Need #2
Opportunity Analysis
Based on your first choice of the eight technical categories you selected above, what is your specific project need? Please be specific!
We are at a critical moment of expansion, at which additional employees are needed to serve a growing consumer base and product line. We seek engaged and innovative employees to support our fast-paced growth, in service of our goal to reach even more youth with the positive impact of education innovation. We have identified three areas of improvement needed to achieve this: staff recruitment, orientation, and retention. Our management would benefit from assessment by American Express of our approach to these staffing practices, as well as assistance in developing creative strategies for attracting and retaining entrepreneurial, socially minded employees. As a small non-profit organization, we have established limited staffing procedures, but as we continue to grow it will be necessary to implement formal orientation and appraisal protocols to more comfortably integrate new employees and improve existing performance review procedures. Specifically we aim to motivate employees, set individual goals, recognize top performers, and reduce employee turnover. Addressing these needs would ensure that our work expands under the management of an invested and knowledgable team.
3.
Collaborative & mutually enhancing
Will support from American Express be focused on your organization overall or a specific product/service? Please describe.
American Express support will be focused on our organization overall.
Have you focused on the above area previously? If so, please explain, including whether you have worked with outside consultants before.
Are you able to commit 3-5 hours/wk over 10-12 weeks?
Yes
Are you able to meet virtually or at a convenient in-person location?
Yes
Are you able to meet in the city where your organization is based?
Yes
1.
Improve organizational weaknesses & capitalize on strengths & opportunities, to reach thousands more youth in underserved areas.
2.
Recruitment & retainment protocol to add staff who support and grow our goals & help us become leaders of impact in our field.
3.
New strategies to support and increase team productivity, joy, and engagement.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
Since its launch in 2006, Globaloria has reached 7000 students and teachers with education transformation. Research shows Globaloria has helped students to build critical thinking skills and adopt self-directed and collaborative learning practices--leading to improved academic performance among low-income students. Moreover, Globaloria has also been proven to increase interest in technology education and careers among students—particularly girls—and narrow the digital divide by eliminating computer usage gaps among students especially affected by it: poor and minority youth. With nearly 4 million science, technology, engineering, and math jobs going unfilled each year, Globaloria is preparing underserved students with the skills they need to be sought-after and highly-paid professionals.
What is your project future impact after receiving professional support from American Express?
We will remain committed to enhancing learning, innovation, entrepreneurship, and global awareness in economically disadvantaged and technologically underserved communities by empowering youth to be self-motivated learners and innovators in the global knowledge economy. Given the capabilities to hire and retain committed, creative employees to support our expansion, we will be able to impact thousands more youth with Globaloria and come closer to our goal of transforming education for millions of youth worldwide. Furthermore, understanding our SWOT will enable us to emerge as leaders in our field and thus inspire other organizations towards similar impacts, together achieving education transformation for underserved youth on a global scale.
This Entry is about (Issues)
Created on 03/22/2013 by adeyaadi
ForLynx aims to solve the growing lack of "knowledge" in communities today. Not just in terms of education; it is about being worldly and enlightened about things that are necessary for our survival as well as for the survival of our humanity. We are innovative in our approach as we plan to have a two step system.
Organization: ForLynx
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United States, Valley Stream
Country where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
Hybrid
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read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
What problem is your organization committed to solving? In particular, share what is innovative about your approach.
ForLynx aims to solve the growing lack of "knowledge" in communities today. Not just in terms of education; it is about being worldly and enlightened about things that are necessary for our survival as well as for the survival of our humanity. We are innovative in our approach as we plan to have a two step system. One has an immediate effect by utilizing a conscious consumer system to engage the community's involvement in solving todays problems by linking their wants and needs in everyday life (through the use of our shop shopforlynx) with a percentage donation system to NGOs that are aligned with our company's mission. This exposure along with using an innovative media strategy to invoke awareness will give us the support we need to continue to enhance our mission to its ultimate goal.
What are your organization's top three priorities in the next year?
1. Establishing a connection between NGOs and for-profit companies and effectively creating a bridge that encourages a sense of communal responsibility among the domestic and international community.
2. Begin raising funds for the ultimate goal of the organization (building a school for underprivileged youth) through the use of an innovative conscious consumerism system, grants, and donations.
3. Rekindle recognition of major problems occurring in many of today's societies and generate an awareness within the international community that they can be effective if united they aim to support the world's problems through sustainable development.
Need #1
Digital Marketing Strategy
Need #2
Peer Benchmarking Analysis
Based on your first choice of the eight technical categories you selected above, what is your specific project need? Please be specific!
ForLynx have two main goals: its overall eventual mission (to be a source of enlightenment) and its more immediate engaging mission (to utilize social investment with the use of conscious consumerism) that bests benefit from the use of a good digital marketing strategy. With a good digital infrastructure we can be more consumer friendly and engaging through the use of social manufacturing and enterprise resource planning we can effectively relay the company's mission along with provide services on a more personal level enhancing the customer relationship on a large international scale without having to expend much if any human and financial resources. This also avoids loss in translation and creates a transparency that can generate continuos trust and support from the communities that support the organizations mission. With the use of digital marketing we will be able to develop more innovative futuristic ways that makes the diffusion of information into todays society not only a more entertaining and engaging experience but also easily accessible. With the use of this to generate a relationship between my company and corporate owners as well as the general public may be the key.
Will support from American Express be focused on your organization overall or a specific product/service? Please describe.
We would prefer an overall focus, however if it is not a choice a focus on our digital marketing strategy and application will be the closest choice to the improve the organization overall. By professionalizing our digital market using new technology we will be able to improve customer relations; customer acquisition; we would be able to completely cut down on staff as it wont be necessary handled from our computers. It will not however be able to cover the SWOT unless its applied to digital and ways to maximize funding sources as well as a better branding strategy. Pros and Cons for using it.
Have you focused on the above area previously? If so, please explain, including whether you have worked with outside consultants before.
I have focused in digital marketing before in a previous startup I had called DiyeHard. It was intended on using the shoe market to develop jobs for both educated and uneducated females in Nigeria to stabilize a female independence by using an ERP cloud system that would also be able to maximize the customer experience. I have gotten assistance before but more so in the programming aspect of building the cloud.
Are you able to commit 3-5 hours/wk over 10-12 weeks?
Yes
Are you able to meet virtually or at a convenient in-person location?
Yes
Are you able to meet in the city where your organization is based?
Yes
1.
Increased awareness and will to advocate for a better way to help the underprivileged
2.
An international mission that different countries will be willing to work towards achieving not independently but together
3.
Increased sustainable development and poverty alleviation.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
The organization has not been executed yet. We have begun steps towards building the relationship between NGOs and for profit businesses but we haven't gotten far enough to give a qualitative or quantitative assessment of the organizations achievement. We believe that the opportunity that this competition offers will allow us to build and brand ourselves helping us to strengthen our knowledge and marketing tactics before heavy execution. We do believe that that is important as we will be able to start and end with the same mission and similar approaches rather than starting and reevaluating when the community is already aware. One of our prioritized qualities is consistency. We would like to maintain the consistency of being a strong put together organization.
What is your project future impact after receiving professional support from American Express?
After receiving professional assistance from American Express, ForLynx plans to take a few months to apply the knowledge gained before launching the company into the public. Once launched we will be able to assess the growth of the company and make whatever adjustments that needs to be made to ensure its success. We hope that with our digital establishment that we will be able to encourage an international advocacy movement through the use of our media outlets so that people can see exactly how their contributions have been a positive impact. This level of transparency can prove as the start of a domino effect on the road to sustainable development and poverty alleviation. We will maximize our digital marketing strategy applying new ideas to ensure its effectiveness is sustained.
This Entry is about (Issues)
Created on 02/27/2013 by Bishal Dhakal
Health at Home (HHPL) stands for healthcare service access at home simplified and standardized by the help of compassionate, caring, customized team of people and delivered at your homely comfort with confidentiality. We are service of professional value which is governed by ethical and evidence based practice approach. Our service is flexible which is customized and designed around peoples need.
Organization: Health at Home private Limited (HHPL)
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Health at Home private Limited (HHPL)
Organization's Country of Operation
Type of Organization
For‐profit
Year of launch of the organization
Years in Operation
Operating 1-5 years
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
We received Surya Nepal Social Entrepreneurship Award 2012 in Dec 2012. We were one among 5 winners. There were 85 participators from all over Nepal of different domains and capacity.
We want to hear about your “Aha!” moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution’s potential to change the world.
We started health at home as a preventive healthcare delivery organization for chronic care management with fixed package cost. When we saw the demand was on direct care management at home we changed the direction towards the demand base and our negative became positive and we decided to walk where there was demand base ie taking care of patient at home.
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Health at Home Private Limited (HHPL)
Explain what the "innovation" is about, e.g., is it the idea and/or the model you use to accomplish the idea, or your understanding of the target population, etc.?
We are out of hospital healthcare service delivery channel. We want to be innovative on service design, development and delivery for the every aspect of life and its changing issues. There were no organization/institution service need of healthcare delivery in local market. We thought there has to be continuum of care before hospital and after hospital thats what health at home was conceived.
We do have healthcare provider who do home visits like nurses, doctors and physiotherapist. What we dint had was standardization of the service and delivery of it in understandable and ethical pattern. Service like health at home makes people to contact one organization and avail cradle to grave service at their comfort zone of home.
We restrict ourself to the strict boundary of ethical practice of evidence based and fully consented service delivery model. As of innovation we can proudly say we were first of its kind n this subcontinent born indigenously with local capacity and human resources and skill.
Describe how your innovation model is distinct from any other organization in your field?
We dint had any such organization in our local market even not in subcontinent when we decided to create such service. We feel at times unfortunate and unlucky as we didn't get to learn for others failure. At the same time we got that opportunity to showcase we can delivery what was thought unnecessary or not very appropriate by traditional practitioners or healthcare institutions like hospitals and polyclinics. we defied the stereotype and became friends of patient even out of conventional healthcare organizations and we were able to do it consistently and constructively for last three years and more.
We take care of people who are unable to come out of their bed right at their home with more compassion and care.
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
We are frugal and we think simple solution can be derived for complex issues like cancer care or palliative care. We make every one work for the shake of team and end delivery of care is managed by the care managers. We think in hierarchy and coordinating with the primary care provider will retain confidence of specialists on us and have organic relationship build up capacity. We dont encourage our employee at the end to do things which is not advised and take orders only advised it makes their service more professional and quality assured. We also make sure the service provider is qualified and have the knowledge of our operational model. This makes us easy to move as a team.
How do you make sure you constantly innovate in light of (potential) external challenges, or your growth plan?
We have already been able to create competition around us as there are some other small organizations starting up in home care front. We are simplifying our service and we are making our service more affordable. We are also making new innovative services available in different categories like we are creating nursing agency which is independent unit then we have coming up doctor on call service which is independent and so is physiotherapy and laboratory collection and reporting services. they all work in independent manner and health at home will be working for more complex cases and which needs more concentrated care and efforts.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThe systemic challenge you are trying to overcome (select one)
Bring accessible healthcare to communities in emerging markets
Health area (target market) where the need is [select only one]
Other specialty care
Categories along the health continuum you are covering [select all that apply]
Long-term care.
Please describe in more detail: what problem are you trying to solve in the organization's specific context?
Creating access to healthcare through service delivery at home. We shave money for client as we cut short hospital stay which is tedious for family members and associated care taking party and help hospitals make more money by making hospitals more active on bed occupancy reate by leveraging faster discharge and more flow of work. We create work for people who are left unemployed in healthcare service sector like nurses, doctors and physiotherapist. We also have created extra volume of work for similar professionals who are willing to work extra hours. We bring value to the employee whose work is more demanding as they cant give time to take care of their loved ones, its gives them relief and respite of social responsibilities.
Stage that best applies to your solution [select only one]
Start-up and growth (pilot is successful and starting to expand)
Core strategies of your business model [select all that apply]
Approaches to behavioral change at the individual level, Patient-centered design, Redesign of the public healthcare system for more efficiency (in terms of processes, structure etc.), New/redefined roles for healthcare service provision, New approaches to distribution of health products and services.
Most relevant tools you are using to implement the strategies outlined above [select only two]
Education/training.
Please describe your solution in more detail
We tried something completely out of box for healthcare delivery services. There has been growing healthcare services in Nepal like hospitals, tertiary care services and super speciality centers, and everything was happening in more conventional and orthodox healthcare service delivery models. So, as gap was evidently growing, we decided to create something new and serve people who were not getting service in that area where the ACCESS was missing. the creating of formal Access to mainstream healthcare staying at home has been our one of the focus. We also wanted it to be associated with mainstream healthcare so that the continuum of care is not broken ever. This fundamental concept has helped our patient to stay connected with care
What are your vision and overall objectives?
Our objective is simple to create access of healthcare to people who need it at home at affordable cost. The service has to be self sustaining, replicable and scalable anywhere done. The service of healthcare is essential humanitarian service it has to be blend of social enterprise which evolves responsibly. We think this service is local now if done properly this service become global, specially for the societies or population in developing world like Asia and Africa.
What is your value proposition?
We approach to individual issue independently and let the solution be totally customizable and compatible to the individual’s need of care value. As we respect the individual capacity should not be limiting factor we make program as customized possible. We have some values that we follow very closely.
1. Compassion we practice the value of compassion as the foremost value of healing.
2. Care with professional value, ethical practice, evidence based knowledge and professional skill are associated with true care value of ours.
3. Confidentiality is respecting individual’s identity and dignity and we value that most.
4. Customization of service is mandatory for the service of human as every human is different.
5. Comfort as comfort of home is unmatchable for any individual.
Who is your customer(s)?
1. Sick people not improving with medical treatment and management at hospital for example in cancer care and palliative care.
2. chronic disease condition not necessarily requiring hospital care but require consistent medical vigilance and assistance for example in oxygen dependent people of respiratory illness, parkinsonism people with walking limitation, Dementia care and management etc.
3. People requiring multiple and frequent access to simple healthcare services like blood testing, medication management and physician visits in close intervals in weeks for example in old age related care.
4. Rehabilitation services like physiotherapy management at home.
5. Pharmacy deliveries, lab test and result delivery services,
What approaches to you use to reach your customers?
.We have good network of our old clients who refer us to their other family members or friends.
.We have another network of good doctors who practice ethical and evidence based medicine.
.We also get walk in clients from social marketing and international base. Like Facebook and website.
.We have good relationship with good hospitals of Nepal like Norvic, OM, Medicare, Gangalal (Cardiac center), TUTH, Bir and other highly reputed and good flow hospitals.
.We have trusted office managers who ensure the link is maintained with the people who are eligible and willing to work and .we also have consistent flow of clients who maintain our work volume.
.We do marketing to that limit/extent where we can provide service. Till the record of our own existence we have not turn down any queri
What are your primary activities?
#People significantly not improving with medical treatment and management or not responding to management protocol of treatment at hospital for example in cancer care and palliative care.
#chronic disease but not necessarily need hospital care but require consistent medical vigilance and assistance for example in oxygen dependent people of respiratory illness, parkinsonism people with walking limitation, Dementia care and management etc.
# People requiring multiple and frequent access to simple healthcare services like blood testing, medication management and physician visits in close intervals in weeks for example in old age related care.
# People requiring rehabilitation services like physiotherapy management and care who not necessarily need hospital stay etc.
Who are your peers and competitors? What problems could these players pose to your success or growth?
We don't have market competition as of now in our service category. We are pioneer and have been able to create price tag according to our service design, which is considered as benchmark and revolves around the same value all the time. Where as there are group of nurses or physiotherapist who do pretend to present them self as a service provider, which have either had breakaway or had to shut down due to other reasons, which we don't get to know always.
There is none existing service provider in exact our value of integrated service provider in our market. There had been some nursing agencies and some physiotherapy services, which has evolved or inspired in our model. We don't think that is exact competitive model but they do take away some market share.
What other challenges - individual, organizational, or environmental – are you currently facing or might hinder future success of your business, and how do you plan to overcome those?
1. Personal (Non acceptance by family as a doable thing and rediculing process of quiting cardiac surgery residency to persue social enterprise and solution for service gap.)
2. Professional (Non support by senior practitioners as a service for needy one going out of hospital specially from the field of neurology, orthopedics and oncology. Humiliation of doing networking and asking for cases where as there were no one providing solution at the patients service.)
3. Financial (Non availability of fund for the start up both from personal front and banking sector)
Briefly describe your growth strategy going forward
1. Stabilize institutional development (Infrastructure, Training)
2. Marketing (Networking, Branding, MOU, Advertisements)
3. Verticals creations and spinoffs like nursing agency, physiotherapist-agency, equipment buy/sell/rent, doctor on call etc
4. IT integration for branding and e-commerce.
5. Starting training institution for home caregivers in local centre(HR development)
What dimensions for growth are you currently targeting for your innovation [select all that apply]
New customer group(s), New regions(s), New market(s)/country(ies).
What makes your business "ready" for growth?
We have tested our product idea, solution concept design and service delivery to the level from where we can say it has worked well for the existing service gap in healthcare delivery. We have been able to make it responsible service both inside organizational value and outside in society (Award, Media and word of mouth referral). We have future plan to expand, stabilize and globalize the service.
What are your key growth objectives?
We want to make it a concept/brand of service which is needed in every society.
No one has to think that the service of healthcare is only confined to the boundaries of hospital or individual.
The process of the service of home healthcare has to be affordable, sustainable, and suitable according to the social structure and values. Home healthcare has to be complimenting service.
What is your timeframe for growth, in the short and mid-term? What are the growth milestones and key activities going forward?
Short term: We have plans to open new centers in other cities of Nepal or subcontinent.
We have been training in-house staff to run service centres independently.
We have two new independent services arm likely nursing agency and a physician service coming independently as spin off.
We are trying to sign an agreement with hospitals and healthcare organizations for referral base creation.
We are networking with independent specialist for specialist based services development.
Long term: Health at home has to be model of service for the any societies in world be it replicate or partner with our organization. health at home has to be complete institution with training modules, service mechanisms and success stories.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhat has been the impact of your solution to date?
Social impacts
1. Patients/clients
Saving patients money as they don't have to stay in hospital for extended stay.People recover fast and enjoy recuperating in home (clients satisfaction),personalized care and attention which is sense of exclusivity.
2. Healthcare institutions like hospitals/polyclinics/Insurance
Increased patient rollover, which improves turnover for bed occupancy ratio, which is marker of increased performance of institution. If hospital are efficient with smaller capacity the overhead of the institution is lesser.Gives access to healthcare solution of beyond hospitals and infrastructure based services. Improves income if partnered with such organization and patient is rolled from hospital there can be resources sharing model that can be net income.
3. Healthcare professionals and individuals
It is relief for professionals as such service gives them service expansion option to home. They will have better monitoring access and services like orthopedics specialist giving solution of physiotherapy, OB/GYN giving service of neonatal and infant sick baby care and neurologist giving service for dementia care and management etc.
4. Caretaking family and friends
Reduces logistics support for caretaking of patient like duties in hospital (Attendants), food deliveries and freight and transportation cost. People of family are assured and are more productive as they will be able to do their daily work and duties/jobs. Saves money for all the cost and direct expense at hospital and treatment management.
There are other impacts in social and environment too.
What methods for quantification of social impact are you applying (if at all)?
1. Our growth (numbers, retention)
2. Our sustainbility.
3. Social respect and impact.
4. Happiness of consumer and client including refferal from clients.
5. Award that we received as social enterprise recently.
Could your solution work in other geographies or regions? If so, where?
When we started there was no service of such kind in our society so are many societies in global context such service is non existent. We did struggle and get it right to the extent its been praised and appreciated by both end user/society and service deliver agents/healthcare service providers etc. We think its fundamentally based in universal principal of healthcare where ever there is people and population base we can work.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
We would like to become healthcare option at home for the people who need it. We will be more flexible with people capacity of both end on consumer end as affordability and technicality of handling complex and difficult cases on institutional capacity. We would like to have training integrated in the service and access to grassroots people for creating alternate job solution and service available for poor people too which will make it inclusive. We would like to be still self-sustaining, organically growing and replicable model of healthcare. We would like to partner with global leaders to learn, explore and exchange. We would like to be more universal and technologically driven which has to bring more value in care.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideElaborate on your current financing strategy
We are service oriented so our revenue is maintained in few streams, like of nursing care service, doctors call and services, physiotherapy services and equipment sales and rental, lab services, transportation services etc. We collect all revenue in one pool and disburse our service providers and other liability at the start of the month for previous month. We dont operate on advance payment. We always bill our clients after providing service at the end of the month. We are growing at the pace of 100% each year since inception. I started with the cash of 500K NPR in end of 2009 and we have revenue of 5000K for the last year balance sheet 2011-2012. Our financial values at the end of the year 2012-‐13 should look as mentioned below, this with similar work flow and growth pattern.
Total revenue: 70-‐100 Lacks NPR
Expenditure: 50-‐70 lacks NPR
Net: 20-‐30 Lacks NPR
Share of revenue generation in total income of organization (in percent)
Direct sales to patients or other beneficiaries (in percent)
Of the possible sources of these sales listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy
Individuals, Patients.
Licensing fees, e.g., for technology/franchise model (in percent)
Of the possible sources of these licensing opportunities listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy
Service contract with organizations, e.g., government, NGOs (in percent)
Of the possible sources of the service contracts listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy
Explain your revenue generation strategy in more detail
We generate revenue by placement in per-dime basis and in term contract basis. We have pool of flexible numbers as the number of client is changing all the time. We want to add more services and we also want to diversify service modality like integrating more nursing and physiotherapy agency format and outsourcing agency. Integrating equipment and rehabilitation store services.
Share of philanthropy in total income of organization (in percent)
Philanthrophy strategies you are using
Explain your philanthropic approach in more detail
We have adopted organization like old age home who are run in charity and specially looks after old aged people who are left in street for unknown reasons. We call it adoption as the service we will provide will be more valuable to more destitute people. Currently we are looking after 50 old people at old age home. Its managed by us completely by our resource and person.
Expand on your selections; explain how you will sustain funding over the next 1-3 years.
We are making some profit and always been on positive balance side since we started our service. We have small growth all the time from the resources we generate. We have two scope of growth one is organic and another inorganic. In organic we will invest around 10-20% of our resource all the time for the development of organization capacity, promotion and networking. In inorganic we will invest from external source by dissolving some equity or seeking loan (currently seeking with external party, investor and individuals) to invest in physical capacity of institution and make it more productive. The service will come up in many verticals simultaneously and service will be more dynamic. We will invest in hardware and generate more revenue by the enhanced service delivery capacity. Basically we will sustain and grow by creating service and delivering it in balanced and frugal way.
Cheap and reliable diagnosis of diseases in rural areas, with lack of electricity or water, and inadequately trained healthcare staff are widespread problems in less developed countries. GSK is helping to develop simple, cheap, paper-based devices capable of diagnosing infections and saving millions of lives.
Created on 01/28/2013 by Amelia Friedman
Promoting culturally inclusive American universities that discharge students prepared to communicate and engage with diverse populations at home and abroad
Allowance for Good is a network of US teens that partner together to improve the lives of youth living in poverty globally by investing in their educational potential.
Social Enterprises across the world are on rise and play a critical role in nation building process. With the changing business environments and increasing pressures to deliver value, social enterprises are witnessing an era of changing orientation from being grants driven to efficient, self sustainable models. Social Enterprises are also using bank financing to fund their innovations, have teams in different geographical locations, need to co-ordinate operations from a central location, and take care of knowledge management and experience sharing.
Looking for sponsorship situating to demonstrate New Financial Business Application Solution as Novel Lending Form absolve Interest Value, as Interest Free Substitute Proposal.
By review and theory test for lending forms in progress, for purpose of evaluating impacts in relations to financial environment. Different achieved monetary policies, appears insufficient tools for greater identify trouble and avoid crisis. The solution is on basis of treating in case of assumption; either bad monetary policies and/or insufficient implementation tools,
Created on 11/17/2012 by Priti Lohiya
Approximately 40 words left (320 characters).
read more ↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about yourself/your team.
PRiti International is a handicraft training and production center. We provide training and expertise to the rural women
And others for the manufacturing handicrafts, furniture & furnishings that are made from purely recycled materials.
This is not just a good way to come up with unique items but also a great way to help the environment.
Recycling can minimize waste production and more importantly, it is an excellent way to promote
Earth-friendly measures to save our Mother Nature.
Our aim is to provide employment opportunities to the artisans and others by helping them in the process
And also reduce their difficulties and hassles of marketing.
What makes you an intrapreneur? What are the skills, capabilities, and personality traits that make you an intrapreneur?
We are providing training and employment to at least 1000 families in villages and BPL zones, specially
Women who did not have employment. These women
Artisans are now financially independent and also supporting there families. along with the crafting with us. After they become good
Artisans they do not have to worry about selling the products. We pay them before the products
Are sold and thus marketing is hassle free for them. It is a very good opportunity for the physically
Challenged and they can be financially independent.
3. To make PRiti International an International brand in the Recycle & reused handicraft sector.
We are already selling these products to over 40 countries with annual turnover of around Rs.40 Cr.
Primary country where this project is creating social impact
India, RJ, Boranada village
Additional countries or regions
Industry
Arts, Entertainment, Recreation
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Established (past the previous stages and has demonstrated success)
The Need: What social or environmental problem are you trying to solve?
We provide training and expertise to the rural women
And others for the manufacturing handicrafts, furniture & furnishings that are made from purely recycled materials.
Recycling can minimize waste production and more importantly, it is an excellent way to promote
Earth-friendly measures to save our Mother Nature.
Our aim is to provide employment opportunities to the artisans and others by helping them in the process
And also reduce their difficulties and hassles of marketing.
We would like to uplift the lives of rural and marginal people and make them good artisans by
Teaching them innovative designs of products made out of easily available waste material like tin, plastic drums,
Barrels, used jeans, Old gunny bag, used military tent, old cycle wheel rim, etc.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
We have trained 200 women till date and 150 women are effectively working with us. These women
Artisans are now financially independent and also supporting there families. There are indirect
Employment opportunities for the men along with the crafting with us. After they become good
Artisans they do not have to worry about selling the products. We pay them before the products
Are sold and thus marketing is hassle free for them. It is a very good opportunity for the physically
Challenged and they can be financially independent.
The Solution: Why is this solution innovative for your company and industry?
It is innovative for our company because we have found money from the waste, and created a huge market for these products. Our customer all over the world are very interested to buy our products and we want to develop lot more products.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities.
Our solution makes lot of difference as it is providing employment to those village women who find difficulties in getting the work according to there ability. We have made them self dependent and by giving the job which is good for them.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
WE have no competition right now. As this is something new business. Moreover our market is all over the world so we get better realisation of these products.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
While working in a chemical factory I found that there are lot of packing items which are sold after they are empty. Like Gunny bag, plastic barrels, tin, chemical drums etc. I found that we get very less realisation in selling these items. So, I start making some usefull products from these waste products. Like from used Gunny bag, I made cushion cover, ladies bags, ottoman, etc, from chemical drum I make stool, etc. and when I put these product pictures on internet, one of a company from Denmark contacted me to buy these products. From here, my " Aha!" moment starts.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
We have grown from 0 to Rs 40 cr. company.
What is your projected impact over the next 1 to 3 years?
our projected impact would be Rs. 60- 70 crs turnover in next 3 yrs.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Our biggest barrier is getting fund for expansion. we are planning to go to bank for this.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhat is the benefit or value you're creating for your business?
as already told earlier we have created our company from 0 to Rs.40 cr
How are you leveraging internal resources (funds, time, knowledge, etc.) to support this initiative?
As I am a designer, I develop every day new products from different recycle waste items and this gives lot of interest to foreign buyers and they are giving us advance money for there orders.
Expand on your answer, explaining the long-term funding and support plan.
Tell us about your partnerships across your company and externally that are key to your project's success.
I am designer and developing new products every day. This business is totally design base and customer want new ideas very time. And because of this only we are growing very fast.
What internal support have you gotten for your project? What kind of push-back have you received?
We are getting huge support from our customers by providing us advance deposits which make our business to grow smoothly.
Created on 09/12/2012 by FundingHunter
Fundinghunter.com is a social funding platform.
Organization: Funding Hunter Inc
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideOrganization Country
United States, FL, Fleming Island, Clay County
Country where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
For‐profit
How long has your organization been operating?
Less than a year
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
How long have you been in operation?
Still in idea phase, but looking to launch soon
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your innovation addresses? Choose up to two
Access.
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
We are tyring to solve the problem of the underserved and underprivaleged not being able to find good financing to aid in the growth of their local economy on a global scale.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Our solution is simple, Social Funding. With the concept of social funding, people from all over the globe can go to fundinghunter.com a free social network and either ask for funds for their cause or donate funds to help those in need on a global scale.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
Our model is straight forward, people helping people. Anyone from anywhere can sign up for our free social network and ask for funds for their underserved community or cause, at the same time anyone from anywhere can see those causes on our site and sign up and donate funds to aid those underprivaleged.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
With our innovative style and constant progression, we feel we may never competitors in our field. We are going to break new ground in providing a platform to help get funding or donations to underprivaleged and underserved peoples in an accessible manner.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
Our founder saw this concept of social funding through a free social network as a means to provide a platform for anyone with a noble cause to be heard on a global scale via the web.
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve
At Funding Hunter, we are trying to achieve a sense of financial equality. Equality for anyone needing funding anywhere to raise money through a social platform. People helping people on a global scale.
Which barrier(s) to financial inclusion does your solution seek to address? (select all applicable)
Physical and other accessibility obstacles that prevent communities from reaching financial services, The lack of affordable financial products tailored to the needs of underserved and excluded communities,.
If you selected 'other' above, please specify which other barriers to financial inclusion you solution seeks to address:
For which underserved or excluded communities will your solution create access to valuable, affordable, secure and comprehensive financial services?
With this concept of social funding virtually anyone anywhere can raise funds through our social platform.
Could your solution work in other geographies or regions? If so, where?
We see fundinghunter.com on a global scale, immediately from the launch. Essentially people in the U.S. can help fund people in Mexico, and so on. Essentially anyone, anywhere can help any noble cause presented on our social network.
If your solution is dramatically successful, how will things be different in 10 years?
I believe our initiative will be very successful, and in ten years areas and geographies that were underserved for a very long time will see a huge jump in there economies through our social funding platform.
What will have had to have changed to make this happen?
The change must begin in the individual first. People must not need to be afraid to reach out to peoples from all over the globe to help them prosper and grow. People also must not be afraid to ask for help.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
We are in the early stages of development, but we see a change in ourselves first and then that grows to reaching out to others.
What is your projected impact over the next five years?
Our impact will be massive, communities that have never had proper funding will recieve the needed capital to grow and prosper and things will grow from there. When you help one community, that community grows and it helps another and so on.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Any barrier that may arise we will overcome with an innovative tenacity.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Task 1
Launching our concept to the world.
Task 2
Raising awareness for underserved communities from all over the world
Task 3
Encouraging people to help fund underserved communities
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Task 1
Continue growing our cause to help underserved communities
Task 2
Continue raising awareness for underserved communities
Task 3
Continue to encourage growth and development
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
We do not currently have partnerships but are looking to find partners in this field of service
Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your innovation? If so, where and why?
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
We have a dynamic and dedicated group of people that are experts in their fields
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
We hope to provide a dynamic and innovative platform for anyone anywhere to recieve necessary funding.
Dried fruits as snacks presents that very healthy alternative – as it has no preservatives, its natural healthy fruits that still contain all their necessary nutrients and has no adverse health effects to the human body.
This type of business presents a good investment opportunity to investors because of the population of Nigeria and the attractiveness of the industry.
Created on 09/11/2012 by amberhayes
Approximately 20 words left (160 characters).
Organization: lift business coaching
more ↓↑ hide↑ hideCountry where this solution is creating social impact
Region in BC where your solution creates social impact
Is your organization a
Please select
How long has your organization been operating?
Please select
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Idea (you're poised to launch)
How long have you been in operation?
Still in idea phase, but looking to launch soon
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your solution addresses? Choose up to two
Access, Cost.
The Need: Describe the need for your solution and the size and characteristics of the community(ies) your solution is engaging
The Columbia Basin region is poised to advance its broadband connectivity via a Columbia Basin Broadband Corporation program. Many areas in the region have had little experience with access and opportunity of very high speed internet access and may struggle with optimizing technology for business, personal, social and community opportunities. The region needs solutions to retain youth, attract new residents / business, compete on larger economical scale, provide accessible communications and social platforms.
In addition there is a virtually undocumented community of mobile workers in the Columbia Basin, capturing better data on this sector is important to ED, education, industry orgs and more..
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Proposal: a study and work plan to improve community adoption and application of improved broadband and consideration of promoting the Columbia Basin region as a hotspot for international mobile workers thus improving the economic and social position of the region.
The application of the results would include development of community stakeholder groups comprised of expertise business, tech savvy youth, government liaisons, ED office and other relevant organizations.
Outcome: increased understanding and adoption of broadband opportunity in the community, leadership options for youth and development of environment to attract mobile workers to the area.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include the primary activities involved in your solution.
Stage 1 solution ( primary ): survey mobile / virtual individuals & organizations in the Columbia Basin Trust to develop a capacity database.
Stage 2 solution: development of community stakeholders peer groups
Solutions will make a difference by:
1) advancing communities understanding and adoption of broadband and relevant technologies - meeting this goals will result in leadership opportunities for youth, business networking
2) documenting the existing state of mobile workforce and industry SWOT which will allow the basin to improve/ market the region for attraction of more mobile workers / companies
3) increase online access, jobs, regional competitiveness etc
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others working to address the same needs as you and indicate what sets you apart from them.
regional science councils, ED offices, business organizations are potential partners.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
The Columbia Basin region of BC has several elements currently converging that may provide a significant economic development opportunity.
1) The Columbia Basin Broadband Corporation is poised to improve broadband connectivity in the Columbia Basin region of BC.
2) The international mobile workforce is growing rapidly and able to relocate to any area in the world with the right conditions ( broadband being one)
3) There is a virtually undocumented community of mobile workers / companies already in the Basin region.
Being educated, access to information, tools, business underlie a strong community - improved access and USE of the internet can imprive the regions health across the board.
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
What is your projected impact over the next five years?
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your solution? If so, where and why?
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
J&P Emerging Enterprises is a company that focuses on helping new and small companies develop their business and get established in the Brazilian market. With a hands-on approach, we assist entrepreneurs with business planning, fundraising, business structuring and strategic management, creating sustainable, effective structures that ensure long term success for these promising enterprises.
Global problems, Collaborative actions
Lisfoy Group has a dream to create a better planet for living creatures. We want to invent exciting extraordinary solutions for global problems by collaborating innovative minds all over the world. The innovation point is the pivotal moment when talented and motivated people seek the opportunity to act on their ideas and dreams.
Remás enables immigrants to save on money transfer fees and access the financial mainstream, with our free website, apps and text message tools.
Created on 08/11/2012 by Tushabe Heinz
Owino Internet is a social network facility aimed at providing affordable internet connection to the Rural and Urban women for as cheap as possible to help them boost their household savings.
Organization: OWINO INTERNET
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideCountry where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
Not registered
How long has your organization been operating?
Less than a year
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
Basically Owino Internet is an Idea that was conceived early this year and was put in practice to provide affordable internet to rural and urban women and other Minorities. It hasnt received awards yet but we are looking around for a boost with publicity to enhance all forth coming hopes and dreams.
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Growth (your pilot is up and running, and starting to expand)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for less than a year
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your innovation addresses? Choose up to two
Cost, Equity.
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
The Internet has become a basic human right in addition to FOOD Shelter and Clothes but many Internet Providers do not put this in consideration when stipulating their prices. maternity costs in many medical facilities are still abnormally high yet women need to communicate with those who can help them via internet that is expensive. many girls who fail to make it to the class room due to one reason or the other cant even access the internet to research because its so costly for students. Even when some companies make offers, not everyone gets to know about them because they are busy trying to make ends meet, hence they continue paying high costs for Internet.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
To lobby in all media houses for affordable internet and provide it on our OWINO MARKET page. To buy second hand Internet Modems from those who have better connection opportunities and provide them for purchase for as cheap as possible. To provide FREE internet DATA BUNDLES to pregnant women using some of the profits got from the normal sales. To lobby on twitter and other social networking sites for any investor that can develop the concept of OWINO INTERNET to become a HOT SPOT.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
For example One telecom company in Uganda that provides Internet is called Orange, it charges $ 10 for 500MB of Data, but there is another company AIRTEL UGANDA that has a promotional product where it delivers 1.5GB of DATA to those who are aware of the promotion , at the price of $ 1 in installments of 500MB per month. This is the one that I highlight for Internet users to purchase and use meaningfully, hence saving a lot of funds for other basic needs of Food, Shelter and Clothes, including Medicine. Since its a big bundle for a fairly high fee, I incur the costs of activation, transport and advertising and charge $ 10 which would buy 500MB but instead give 1.5GB and use the profits to cover operational costs as well as giving FREE bundles of 1.5GB to the PREGNANT women who have medical evidence.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
My peers are many University Students, Business persons, families and young people alike. Each week I connect over 10 people from various categories of life and they still want something more. I keep track of their addresses and contacts such that in future I update them with a text message if I come up with any new innovation. My competitors are the Large telecom companies that make adjustments in their offers and throw us off the market because we are not fully independent. If we were not parasites we would create a bigger impact in the society. Our success relies on what offers these telecom companies bring forward. If the offers are not Good then our goal is dead. This is why i have not stopped lobbying for an investor or financier to come up and boost our dream plan.
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What solution(s) does your initiative address to better the lives of girls and women by leveraging technology? (select all applicable)
Access to technology, Access to education/training, Access to economic opportunity.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
By providing affordable Internet, we have triggered further research and economic activities. Many ladies sell our sim cards and earn 1 dollar per sim card which is 2400/= and worth a meal in Uganda. The ladies also have an opportunity to use our sim card internet data bundle and as such save the $ 10 and more that they would spend on expensive Data bundles. In addition to this, they are able to get access to communication and information affordable and divert their recurrent expenditure focus to health and development than high cost internet bundles. For the Free connection to Pregnant ladies, then they can save some money to cater for their medical and maternity issues, and as such prepare for their unborn baby.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
In the next 1-3 years I see Owino Internet growing to become a larger domestic name in as far as Internet is concerned. I am still lobying for an investor to boost its activities by helping set up an Internet Hot Spot in Kampala city where all those who cant afford the Telecom charges can use this media of communication. Kampala city has so many schools and this Hot spot could boost education and enhance girl child education by indirectly cutting down costs of communication. We must remember that girls or ladies actually have much more needs than Men. When costs of living go up, women are much more vulnerable to evil traps and other compromise that endanger their lives. We must put this in the spotlight of all our activities. When women have easy access to social facilities, men are happy.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
The Major barrier are that we have not found an investor to transform us into a Hot Spot and as such independent of the Telecom offers that we rely on. If the Telecom costs are high, we have less to offer the communities. However, we have not sat down, every day we are on twitter and other social networking sites, lobbying for any investor to boost us either by transforming us into a Hot spot, or a self reliant Internet Service Provider by donating modems to the poor women that they pay for in installments by using our network. We as such plan to overcome them by raising our antennas higher for any opportunities that may come up rhyming with our interests and goals.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Task 1
Building awareness for OWINO INTERNET such that many more women and other people come to learn about it
Task 2
Making OWINO INTERNET National and not just in the city, by opening up outlets all over the country where there is electricity.
Task 3
Continue to loby for an investor to brand us further by building our dream of a HOT SPOT in Kampala City
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Task 1
Acquiring affordable Media Publicity
Task 2
Expansion to cover all areas in need
Task 3
Incorporating OWINO INTERNET in every household and also cuting down costs further to meet the growing demand.
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
Tushabe Henry's girl friend Treasure was finding it hard to meet daily internet costs and when he built pressure on his boyfriend (me) we decided to look into the matter by establishing a social platform where people can access affordable internet IDEAS from a social networking site. As such I had to take the initiative to look at any possible offers from any Telecom companies and make them available to other people who may also be in our shoes. This further developed into a small business which is mainly manned by women who sell the DATA BUNDLES in our outlets. None of them now goes without Lunch.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
Like I said, OWINO INTERNET is not self reliant, it basically relies on any available offers of INTERNET PROMOTION offers from the large telecom companies. When these offers are not there, we are dead. This is why we need someone to rescue us by making us independent via establishing a HOT SPOT that we control our selves.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Its a lot of work and i like it. Well in as far as Investment is concerned, this is what I have mentioned over and over again that If we got an investor to boost our activities, it would work as a pedestal to setting up a HOTSPOT for the rural and urban poor alike, of which women are always the largest population. Regarding Pro-bono, we would love to have it registered and legal.
OneWayBid Sàrl, società costituita in Svizzera nel giugno del 2011, è l’azienda titolare del rinomato sito di commercio elettronico, OneWayBid, nel quale hai realmente l’occasione di puntare le tue offerte, con cui puoi aggiudicarti prodotti nuovi, coperti di garanzia, delle migliori marche presenti sul mercato. Solo nelle aste al centesimo, si possono ottenere enormi vantaggi in termini economici, con sconti di prezzo che vanno fino al 90%!
In many developing countries, very skilled people like academics, don't have a chance to find a suitable job. Transfair seeks to activate this enormous potential and helps them, through their internet platform www.transfair.co to sell skilled services to the developped parts of the world such as translations, research, etc. The payment for these services follows standards for fair pay so that both sides win.
This project also has a Changeshop where you can read more about its latest progress.
Go to Changeshop: SQx Danza.
Created on 06/19/2012 by Carmen Moreira
Mission: to contribute to the growth and development of communities using arts & culture (and particularly dance) to contribute to collective, public vibrancy.
Organization: SQx Danza
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Region in BC where your solution creates social impact
Columbia Basin.
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
1‐5 years
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Growth (your pilot is up and running, and starting to expand)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for 1‐5 years
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your solution addresses? Choose up to two
Access, Quality.
The Need: Describe the need for your solution and the size and characteristics of the community(ies) your solution is engaging
The SQx mission is to contribute to the growth and development of communities using arts & culture (and particularly dance) to strengthen collective public vibrancy. SQx is at its heart a long-term sustainable initiative, which has been strategically and metaphorically planted in the Columbia Basin to provide a CULTURAL GATEWAY from and between the Columbia Basin, BC, Canada, and beyond. SQx’s priority is to act as a catalyst between local (rural) and global communities in order to encourage excellence in arts and culture collaboration and cooperation. Exposure to our work will diffuse to like-events, and it is our belief that engaging with arts & culture is the necessary first-step in creating community awareness regarding the ability of arts and culture to build healthy communities
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
SQx’s contribution to the development of arts and culture opportunities and experiences within different levels of community groups is successful because of the equal gravity that our team places on each of our activities (educational events (SQee), productions (SQp), and research and development (SQr + d)), in addition to SQx’s holistic approach to event and initiative organization.
The representation of SQx’s artistic and executive identity is that of a tree, where without the provisions and encouragement of all its elements, the organism could not survive.
Furthermore, not often citizens of of rural communities have the opportunity to closely engage with professional arts expertise of an international standard. Moreover, young people especially will come to understand the value of arts and culture as community assets. Consequently, our work will be indispensable in creating and fostering a positive image for artists, the arts, culture and heritage organizations.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include the primary activities involved in your solution.
Both founders are currently pursuing PhDs, and our research interests separately inform SQx’s evolution and growth. The Artistic Director’s research is primarily concerned with new methods of performance techniques, which SQx communicates in two-folds: 1) Small groups of students in our educational events, 2) Large groups in production initiatives.
The Executive Director’s research concerns the economic and market development of cultural organizations both locally and globally. Furthermore, her research is the interdisciplinary study of the relationship between foreign policy, international relations, and national identity and how these international and domestic interests affect cultural dissemination and consumption. SQx global, corporate expansion strategies are tangible examples of executive methods that the Executive Director uncovers as her research continues to unfold.
The different spheres of our organization, (SQee), (SQp), and (SQr + d), organically cross-inform to achieve an unprecedented model of internal growth. Our dedication to holistic internal structuring permits successes and miscues experienced in each of our programs to encourage the cumulative SQx team to develop and evolve to the changing demands of the arts and culture industry. Because no individual SQx activity has priority over another, SQx is innovatively equipped to face the challenges of the ever-changing local and global arts and culture scene.
International flare ensures that SQx simultaneously contributes to both local and global communities at home and around the world.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others working to address the same needs as you and indicate what sets you apart from them.
SQx has two types of peers and competitors: arts and culture groups such as dance companies (eg. Kidd Pivot) and social justice groups (eg. Free the Children). However, both of these models fail to provide the complete service of SQx. Arts & culture organizations are formed to communicate the aesthetic legacy of an individual artist or collective to bring about international acclaim and artistic and commercial success--with no consideration for the potential of art & culture to act as tools for human development. Nevertheless, the primary mandate of SQx is to use art & culture to strengthen public vibrancy (no aesthetic legacy is specified). SQx was created with the belief that the organization should and could thrive without its founders. SQx is an art/culture/social justice hybrid.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
The “Aha” moment of SQx happened gradually over four years, over many discussions about aesthetic, art and culture organizations, and disseminative strategies (plus we wanted to see people actually participate in art instead of being passive observers). While preparing our strategic plan, we realized that Thomas King, in The Truth About Stories, described the partnership we were embarking far better than we could ourselves: “And we were both hopeful pessimists. That is, we wrote knowing that none of the stories we told would change the world. But we wrote in the hope that they would. We both knew that stories were medicine, that a story told one way could cure, that the same story told another way could injure.” With time & trust, we realized that by working together and combining our varying skill-sets that we had a special advantage with enormous potential to succeed and make a difference where, perhaps, others had failed to realize an opportunity for evolution and social impact.
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve
By creating an international, non-profit, arts and culture entity, SQx uses innovation and strategy to simultaneously contribute to both local and global communities to maximize the promotion of contemporary choreographic research, teaching and learning of contemporary dance--in addition to performance opportunities for professional artists.
The ability for us to plant a multinational arts and culture organization within a number of small communities in the Columbia Basin is strategic for not only our organization but for the communities we have the opportunity in which to collaborate and engage. The ability for an organization such as ours to make an enormous impact on rural communities, we believe, is immensely valuable to both parties.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
SQx has contributed to art & culture contemporary choreographic research & education in Spain, Greece, Russia, China & the UK & is now focusing on development of educational events & production research in Canada. We are thrilled to announce that we have choreographic cooperations confirmed in China, Russia, Norway, Spain, & Greece to create collaborations of the work “36” in these respective countries (the work was already revived by the Royal Opera House, London, UK). Our team has also developed & implemented arts & cultural social justice projects in both Nicaragua and Palestine which acted as vehicles for human growth in disaster & war zones. Our projects in Canada (both the professional residencies and stagings in Vancouver & Mission planned for 2013 & subsequent teaching initiatives in the Columbia Kootenay region & beyond) are not merely “one-off” experiments. These projects are apart of a global art & culture network, which we are working diligently to strengthen & develop.
What is your projected impact over the next five years?
SQx operates in two year growth cycles. Presently, SQx is focusing on artistic cooperation & exchange from & between our home in BC with students, professionals, and arts and cultural organizations beyond the province. We are currently organizing a multi-province tour for 2013/2014 which will be a cooperative effort with Beijing 9 Dance Theatre (with whom we are collaborating this Fall 2012). The prominence of our production year will be bolstered by the educational events we are currently embarking on in BC for 2012/2013. After the 2014 season is complete, we begin a more expansive teaching, outreach, & research phase, which will again prepare for an even more robust performance & production year. Growth & expansion are analyzed & revised in preparation for each two year growth phase
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
In securing vitality in the Columbia Basin, we are facing an infinite loop: in order to continue to organize events (in which we can account for administrative costs) we need supplemental labour. However, in order to hire sufficient labour to begin organizing mass events (Basin and beyond), we need additional funds to cover wages for youth workers, which will eventually be absorbed by the production of SQee. At present, we are finding it difficult to maintain a constant stream of grant applications & events while simultaneously continuing to boost our profile because of labour shortages. The solution to the SQx infinite loop is a one-time input grant, so we can hire a handful of students (who we will train & impart with international caliber skills--otherwise unavailable in the Basin.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Address labour shortages--workers hired will become sustainable because of the revenue generating events they help to produce.
Task 1
Successfully acquire one-time in-put grant to boost employment.
Task 2
Provide innovative students w/ skills that will sustain them through their professional lives to ensure their success beyond SQx
Task 3
Increase access to services ((SQee), (SQp), & (SQr + d))--particularly SQee because of its ability to create sustainable revenue
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Coordinate international cooperation, production exchange w/ Beijing 9 Dance Theatre, Columbia Basin, BC, Canada--local & global
Task 1
Collaborate on creation of new work in Beijing, so it is ready for production residency (Mission, BC- Clark Theatre/Park Centre)
Task 2
Coordinate, negotiate with venues, festivals, facilities to organize the production & performance of our new work & Beijing work
Task 3
Begin dissemination of SQp (works as stated above) alongside existing SQee events schedule outlined in 6-month milestone
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
Partnerships are key to the local/global relationships that create our innovative identity. We are embarking on a creative collaboration with Beijing 9 Dance Theatre plus similar cooperations in the UK, Russia, Norway, Greece, Spain, & Canada. We are creating a new work in residency at two locations in the Lower Mainland (with 13 professionals from both Canada & Europe) in Spring 2013. We also have partnerships with the Regional District of E. Kootenay, Centr. Kootenay, & Kootenay Boundary to supplement growth in the Columbia Basin for long-term, sustainable headquarters.
Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your solution? If so, where and why?
SQee, in particular, provide enormous advantages & benefits for aspiring artists in the Basin. However, in order to implement increased numbers of SQee & other activities, our solution is simple: recruiting young adults to assist with our employment shortage. In turn, we provide these students with a special professional skill-set that they would otherwise be unable to secure (eg. at the local bakery). Again, planting a local/global initiative in the Basin (especially) provides first-class training & exposure to all those who come into contact with our work (as a participant/employee intern
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
The different spheres of our organization SQee, SQp, and SQr + d organically cross-inform to achieve an unprecedented model of internal growth--as we simultaneously communicate similar innovative theories, notions, and concepts to the greater arts and culture scenes. Furthermore, all artistic and executive facets of SQx rely and support each other to create equal, relative growth and development of a whole rather than a particular segment of our identity.
Moreover, as a Basin resident, my leadership will demonstrate that arts and culture are not merely recreational past-times but valuable aspects of community development, which can take a person’s career from a rural community to the international scene--a case-study of our local / global alliances and collaborations.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Created on 06/1/2012 by redowning
Create a Community Investment Fund model, implement it in the Capital Region of BC and make the model available for communities throughout the province.
Organization: Community Social Planning Council of Greater Victoria
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Community Social Planning Council of Greater Victoria
Country where this solution is creating social impact
Canada, BC, Greater Victoria - South Vancouver Island - and other interested communities in BC
Region in BC where your solution creates social impact
Vancouver, Coast and Mountains, Vancouver Island, Thompson Okanagan, Northern British Columbia, Cariboo Chilcotin Coast, Kootenay Rockies, Columbia Basin.
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Idea (you're poised to launch)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for more than 5 years
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your solution addresses? Choose up to two
Equity.
The Need: Describe the need for your solution and the size and characteristics of the community(ies) your solution is engaging
Community and social enterprises, affordable housing and community real estate assets lack capital for start up and scale up financing. Communities around the province are looking for solutions to the lack of capital to grow their assets and opportunities. Regional Trusts have tried to provide some solutions, but rely on government capital. Community Futures Development Corporations provide debt financing for rural communities, but within restricted criteria using federal government financing. Can we create a model of community reinvestment that unleashes the full potential of individual RRSP savings and other investments to benefit communities? These kinds of funds have worked well in regions of Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Quebec. Can we adapt the model to BC regional districts ?
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Create a Community Investment Fund model and implement it in the Capital Region of BC, with template corporation and statement of offering documents, and a "how to" guide for other communities across BC to use to implement similar models in their settings.
Develop proposed legislation and regulation for Community Investment Funds based on the existing and evaluated program in Nova Scotia that has enabled regions to redirect RRSP investments to local assets and enterprises to strengthen local economies. Tie this in with proposed Social Innovation Tax Credit proposals, focussing on community specific options.
Develop community investment fund options with non profit, affordable, and cooperative housing organizations across B.C.
Develop community investment fund options with social enterprise organizations across BC.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include the primary activities involved in your solution.
A Community Investment Fund for the Capital Region would involve a community controlled corporation issuing a Statement of Offering under BC Government regulations to raise capital from individuals and institutions to create a pool of capital to then reinvest in eligible locally owned real estate and business assets and enterprises. Social enterprises would be explicitly included as eligible investments, as would affordable housing development. Based on examples in Nova Scotia we believe it is possible to raise up to $8 m in investments annually through such a Fund to then create jobs, affordable housing and other assets for community development. This is non government dependent capital being re-directed from existing flows of capital investment that currently are vested in vehicles outside the region.
We would also develop the necessary model legislation and regulation to adapt the Community Economic Development Investment Fund program from Nova Scotia to enable this model to expand across BC.
We would engage with significant capital fund holders in the province (e.g. ICBC, Credit Unions, Foundations) in identifying their requirements to place bond-rate-of-return components of their capital in such funds, and enable that investment.
In this way we would be creating a major source of capital investment in communities and regions to revitalize their economies and reduce the affordability challenges for their residents in the housing market.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others working to address the same needs as you and indicate what sets you apart from them.
We have interest in collaboration on this proposal from credit unions, non profit, cooperative and private housing developers, chambers of commerce, investment advisors, regional government officials and others. This is a unique proposal based on our evaluation of models of community investment across Canada and other jurisdictions. It complements proposed social innovation financing proposals, but is community or place-based in its focus, which the US and UK evidence of social financing innovation suggests is a winner.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
A founding member of the housing development cooperative in our region and the Community Council looked at the challenges facing affordable housing developers in Greater Victoria, and then looked at solutions from other places. We found a big gap in affordable housing and community financing, and a big solution in New Dawn Enterprises in Cape Breton Nova Scotia. We then found the enabling policies that make their model work. We then partnered with Transition Towns Victoria on a public forum on community investment in early 2012, and had an overflow crowd of 250 people attend. That was the Aha moment, people want a means to put their savings and investments in ethical local assets that contribute to the future sustainability and well being of their communities....and they care about their communities. The mutual fund avenue doesn't work for an increasing number of our residents. And with an ageing population the caring for community avenue is going to be in demand.
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve
Create a federation of community investment funds across BC that direct capital from individuals and institutions to locally owned and controlled enterprises, affordable housing and other community assets, that strengthen and regenerate local economies. The first phase of the initiative involves modelling the fund in the Capital Region, the second phase involves knowledge mobilization and engagement through a "change lab" group to adapt the model to other regions. The third phase involves working to establish provincial government regulation to enable and advantage the model through tax incentives.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
This model has resulted in substantial benefits to local communities in Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Quebec. It is also a major component of community investment programs in the United States (e.g. New Hampshire) and the UK. It is a foundation of social innovation and social entrepreneurship programs across OECD jurisdictions.
What is your projected impact over the next five years?
Our aim is to raise $5 million in capital through the Capital Region Community Investment Fund in 2013/14. If the model is successful and provided with tax incentives by government, then 2% of RRSP contributions have been directed into community investment funds in other jurisdictions. That would equate to $7 m annually in the Capital Regional District.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
The main barriers are provincial regulations that make statements of offerings for capital investment funds costly, particularly with RRSP eligibility attached. Nova Scotia has overcome that obstacle, so we need to learn from that model and help the BC Government identify how their best practices can be applied to our setting.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
A completed business plan and statement of offering, ready to go public
Task 1
Complete draft statement of offering, including review of key potential community investments
Task 3
Engage community on proposed model
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
A successful first round of community investment fund raising
Task 1
Develop promotional materials and engagement strategy
Task 2
Launch first community investment fundraising effort
Task 3
Draft boiler plate legal agreements
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
We have substantial partnerships with credit unions, non profit and cooperative housing development organizations, faith based organizations, community economic development and social enterprise stakeholders. Expressions of interest have also been made by local government representatives, foundations and individual philanthropists. A Steering Committee meets regularly to help direct development of the project from across these stakeholders. Vancity Credit Union has contributed start up financing and in kind support.
Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your solution? If so, where and why?
We have requests from Transition Towns, credit union, and local government organizations across Vancouver Island to share information on our model. We anticipate interest from other regions of BC.
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
The Community Council is a leader in social innovation in the Capital Region with 75 years experience. It is also a key member of the Canadian Community Economic Development Network, and the Cities Reducing Poverty Network nationally. The council is a dynamic incubator of socio-economic innovation in the region and leads the development of social entrepreneurship in Greater Victoria. The combination of staff expertise and volunteer-stakeholder engagement produces a flexible, inclusive and dynamic platform for social innovation.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Green money is a tool to change merchants,vendors,consumers to save from carbonsin and practise all the methods of green living.Educate,empower staff of each green money merchants shop to reduce,reuse,save power,save water,waste management this gives more profit to the shop owners who will share with consumers as discounts if the green money holders practise green living.we also ask the green money card holders to enroll thier neighbourhood shops to turn green and make as members.we also insist merchants to convert the consumers as members for green living.we have simple philosophy of the busi
Created on 04/14/2012 by Lachapdavid
Uniting the 21st century generation by having all nationalities present at a music festival with the biggest line up ever.
Organization: 21st Century Production
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideThe competition is only open to people between 18-34 years-old and resident in UK, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark or the Netherlands. Does this apply to you
Yes.
Country of residence of entrepreneur
The Netherlands
Tell us about your personal background. Why are you passionate about this issue? Making an idea a reality takes innovation, dedication and strong leadership. Do you have the necessary entrepreneurial skills to realize your vision?
There is nothing in the world I would rather do than to do my very best to make this project move forward. I strongly believe we will make it happen. And Last but not least, it makes me happy*.
*Hitchcock's Definition of Happiness
"A clear horizon — nothing to worry about on your plate, only things that are creative and not destructive… I can’t bear quarreling, I can’t bear feelings between people — I think hatred is wasted energy, and it’s all non-productive. I’m very sensitive — a sharp word, said by a person, say, who has a temper, if they’re close for me, haunts me for days. I know we’re only human, we do go in for these various emotions, call them negative emotions, but when all these are removed and you can look forward and the road is clear ahead, and now you’re going to create something — I think that’s as happy as I’ll ever want to be."
Creating something that in time can change the human narrative is nothing short of well.. is just pretty great.
I have learned a lot in a wide range of aspects by building up a company with 2 friends, writing my thesis about the succes and fail factors of sustainable initiatives, external activities during my time as a student and trying to read and see all information that can make our project succeed.
Since I traveled through South America and read the book The Alchemist I try to live by the 2 rules; 'All or nothing' and 'Over think the important decisions thoroughly but in the end go with your gut feeling'. And sometimes you just have to throw your heart over the fence and jump after it..
Organization Country
Netherlands, NH, Amsterdam
Country where this project is creating social impact
n/a
Is your organization a
Not registered
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThe Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
As we are becomming more and more connected in the world, we are becoming more and more dependent on each other. However our current institutions are not able to initiate the needed worldwide change. To solve the current and future problems we must work together as a generation.
To state Jeremy Rifkin "We have to rethink the human narrative. We have to begin thinking as an extended family, we have to broaden our sense of identity. We have to extend our identities to think of the human race as fellow sojourners
“To move forward we must recognize that in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny. We must bring forth a sustainable global society."*
*The Earth Charter Initiative
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Instead of using our energy in ‘being against’ many issues in the current society we will use our time to build the world the way we want it. This '21st century generation productions' project will have 7 billion stakeholders and 7 billion shareholders.
The ‘In Diversity We Unite Festival’ is the first project to show that the 21st century generation is united. It will have the biggest line up and all nationalities will be present. Together we all co-decide on the location and the line up.
This festival will be the starting point, a platform where the 21st Century generation can co-decide what products we want, build them together and co-decide how the profit will be spend. This “21st century generation productions” project will have 7 billion stakeholders and 7 billion shareholders.
It will bring out empathic sociability and prepare the groundwork for an empathic civilization. It will be the proof that together we can build the world as we want it.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
Everything we build will be done without creating offload for anybody on the planet. Every product we build will be climate neutral, fair trade and made by people that get a responsible salary. The ‘organizations’ policies will be co-determined by everybody too. There will be a 7 billion sales force, 7 billion consumers and 7 billion CEO’s.
As everybody is a stake- and shareholder and can vote on how the profit must be spend the world will get better with every product sold. This could result in building and investing in renewable energy 'plants' all over the world. This will decrease poverty and help building a sustainable civilization.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Avaaz is 'a campaigning community bringing people-powered politics to decision making worldwide'. They influence decision making, we build.
Masterpeace is a 'Just Do It-campaign for peace' and has a focus on peace building projects. In Diversity We Unite focuses on the notion that we are all part of one human family and will build products we as a civilization demand without creating offload and investing in areas that will bring us closer to a sustainable civilization.
Select the stage that best applies to your business
Operating for less than a year
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhat is the social impact you have had to date and how you measure it?
To date there has not been any social impact. We plan to have the website live in June.
The social impact can be measured by:
the amount of people that follow the plan
the amount of people that participate in the project
The amount of products made by the 21st century generation productions. The revenue these products produce and the projects that the profit is spend on.
What barriers might hinder the success of your business? How do you plan to overcome them?
Our plan is all about building support. This can be done in many different ways;
Go the people that are most likely to support and/ or participate the project. We plan to visit places all of the world. With a focus on meeting students and backpackers and people who go to music festivals.
Though spreading the word through working with street artist.
Get famous people to endorse the project.
Build an respected Board of Advisory
The use of Social Media
Through crowd-sourcing the question what and how the project process can be improved.
We plan to do all of the above and more..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow does your model address financial, social, and environmental sustainability?
Everything we build will not create offload and be financial, social and environmentally sustainable
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow do you see social entrepreneurship contributing to the improvement of developing countries?
Starting to understand that we are all part of one human family and acting accordingly in all actions we as individuals take in our daily lives is the only way forward. Social entrepreneurship shows how this can be done in practice. Each idea that is acted upon is brings us one more step closer in incorporation this notion in every aspect of our daily lives all around the world. Till one day it is common practice everywhere.
What aspects of your stay in Uganda as part of the competition do you think you will find most challenging and rewarding?
Seeing and meeting people from all over the world with different backgrounds and different ideas putting there believes that they can change the world for the better into practice might be the most rewarding part.
Created on 04/2/2012 by JessRimington
One World Youth Project links schools around the world to build mutual respect and understanding among students.
Organization: One World Youth Project
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideOrganization Country
United States, DC, Washington, Washington
Country where this project is creating social impact
n/a
Is your organization a
Non‐profit / NGO / Citizen sector organization
Your role in Education
Other.
The type of school(s) your solution is affiliated with
Public (tuition-free)
How long has your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
How long has your solution been in operation?
Operating for more than 5 years
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
The world has changed. The global economy is flattening, there is unprecedented migration and we are experiencing a digital revolution and yet schools around the globe are not adequately preparing youth for their interconnected world. Those prepared to operate within this reality will see this interconnection as an opportunity. Those not prepared will see this changing landscape as a threat. 99% of school principals believe a global mindset is important for students’ futures. Educators and employers alike agree that immersion abroad is an effective way for students to develop global competence. But sending students abroad is costly. Schools around the globe are searching for a low-cost way to provide the social-emotional learning that takes place when students are exposed to the world.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
One World Youth Project simulates the experience of travel by linking classrooms around the globe and empowering students to teach one another about our changing world. We partner with a university/college to develop a service-learning program on their campus where we train their students over the course of a semester to become experts in the OWYP "global mindset" curriculum. These students then facilitate a weekly connection between a local middle or high school classroom in their community with a classroom abroad through the match OWYP has made in partnership with a middle or high school in their community and in the region abroad. OWYP links all participating campuses in a global network, allowing student facilitators to work together across borders as advocates for their local middle/high school classrooms. This system provides middle and high schools with a free-of-cost way to expose their students to the world while still meeting standards.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
OWYP works with Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and the D.C. Public School system. Georgetown students sign up for the program through their community service center. They receive internship credit and some get paid for taking on additional leadership. After the OWYP training, they enter into a middle school social studies classroom once-a-week for a year to lead lessons that connect their mentee students with students in Prishtina, Kosovo. To do this effectively, the Georgetown students are in touch weekly with their counter-part facilitators: students at the University of Prishtina. OWYP empowers the university student facilitators on both sides of the exchange with video cameras, still cameras, mobile tech and most importantly, a flexible curriculum that inspires young people to teach one another, across borders, about our rapidly changing world while developing the ability to connect across difference.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
There are great orgs that do complementary work to integrate global competency into schools. Our partner, World Savvy, is one of the best examples. Also, peer organization Primary Source is a good curricular example. We call orgs like this the "global ed" sector. There is another sector we call "exchange 2.0" (cross-cultural connections via tech rather than travel). This includes partner orgs like iEARN and longtime peers Global Nomads Group and the Soliya Project. OWYP works with all of these orgs to create a greater awareness about the skills (e.g. applied empathy) and values (e.g. desire to be a change-maker) associated with a global mindset. They're not competitors because OWYP is unique in that it can scale exponentially without philanthropy or a focus on a certain region.
Define your company, program, service, or product in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
One World Youth Project links schools around the world to build mutual respect and understanding among students.
Identify what is innovative about your solution in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
OWYP simulates the experience of travel by linking classrooms through tech, empowering students to teach one another about our world.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThis Entry is about (Issues)
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
We have served 4 campuses and local school communities during our pilot --impacting over 150 university and middle/high school students. Post-pilot we dug in deeper in Washington, DC and Prishtina, Kosovo this academic year to better understand the impact of the inclusion of weekly, facilitated global education within the public school environment. Last month we made our first planned expansion to Guyana, Turkey, Pakistan and another US site: Boston.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
OWYP will scale to serve 45 campuses by 2015, engaging over 7,000 university and middle/high school students in 17 countries. This means 7,000 students will have developed greater global competency, have a greater chance of receiving and succeeding in higher education, have greater employment opportunities in a global economy and most importantly be discerning, empathetic and empowered global citizens poised to build a more sustainable and just world.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
The need for 1.1 million in philanthropy until we are self-sustaining from earned-income. To overcome this challenge (which is compounded by the current fundraising climate in this economy) we are seeking over 60% of our philanthropy from private individuals and also develop a corporate partnership program.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Launch the 2012/2013 OWYP program in Turkey, Pakistan, Kosovo, Guyana and the USA (DC & Boston) this fall.
Task 1
Improve upon the OWYP curriculum.
Task 2
Launch the spring 2012 Online Training Course (for the university students)
Task 3
Hold the 2012 Summer Training Conference for participant student managers from all over the globe (in Kosovo)
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Expand to 9 near universities/communities, bring the total number of sites to 15
Task 1
Recruit an additional 9 universities
Task 2
Develop a more comprehensive method of tracking impact over time (e.g. better understanding student behavioral change w/ OWYP))
Task 3
Fundraise the rest of the philanthropy needed until OWYP is 'cash positive' due to economies of scale
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world [125 words]
I founded in OWYP in 2004 at 18 years-old as a link between my high school in Massachusetts, USA and a school in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The project grew quickly as educators around the world began emailing asking for their classroom to be linked with a partner abroad. Within a year, OWYP became a not-for-profit run by a volunteer team of university students in seventeen countries. From 2004 to 2009, we connected 67 schools in 26 countries using email, Skype and Facebook to coordinate efforts. To meet the rising demand for wired global learning opportunities, OWYP began to engage universities as partners in connecting the secondary schools in their community with classrooms abroad. With these new partners, OWYP began to train university students as the facilitators of cultural exchange in local classrooms. OWYP scaled to a full-time staff and from 2009 to 2011 ran a two-year pilot with university partners in the United States, Kosovo, and Qatar. We have since expanded to 3 new sites.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
University of Prishtina, Georgetown University, University of Guyana, National University of Science & Technology, Boston University and Istanbul Bilgi Universitesi
What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section? [75 words]
OWYP is managed by a young, social-entrepreneurial team with experience in education, community & international development, sales, communications and media-production. We are guided by a hands-on Board of Directors with experience in scaling companies, sales, international economics and education. We currently have 7 full time staff members
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
We need help with fundraising, messaging our impact clearly and with metrics/assessment.
“A developed India by 2020, or even earlier, is not a dream. It need not be a mere vision in the minds of many Indians. It is a mission we can all take up – and succeed”-Dr Kalam
We are going to be 25% of world’s work force with our growing youth who require education, training and skills” and our people’s President Dr Kalam declared “Lead India as 2nd National Movement to prepare trained human resources to transform India as developed nation by 2020 by inculcating values, patriotism and our cultural heritage besides academic brilliance.
Created on 03/28/2012 by Suzie11
We foster global competence and understanding of cultural diversity through award-winning foreign films, and the highest quality multi-disciplinary curricula.
Organization: Journeys in Film - A Project of the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center (JiF)
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideOrganization Name
Journeys in Film - A Project of the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center (JiF)
Organization Country
United States, NM, Placitas
Country where this project is creating social impact
United States, CA, Los Angeles
Is your organization a
Non‐profit / NGO / Citizen sector organization
Your role in Education
Other.
The type of school(s) your solution is affiliated with
Public (tuition-free)
How long has your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Scaling (the next step will be growing impact on a regional or even global scale)
How long has your solution been in operation?
Operating for more than 5 years
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
U.S. students are shockingly deficient in geographical and social knowledge about our world. By 2025 most job opportunities will be in Asia. In the next 5 years, Chinese will top English as the main language on the web.Two-thirds of young Americans could not locate Iraq on a map, and so on. JiF believes that these academic deficiencies coincide with a lack of empathy and compassion for other cultures. It is imperative that we teach our students about other countries and cultures. However, teachers often don't have the training and time to globalize their lesson plans. Moreover, today’s youth are exposed to media that often portrays countries in a negative light, causing racial biases. There is profound need to teach cultural-understanding, recognizing shared values as well as differences.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Middle school is prime for global education. As teens develop emotionally, intellectually and socially, they begin forming world-views.These impressionable years provide an ideal time to expose students to other cultures and countries.We teach them literature from around the world, but tend to forget that what inspires imagination is both visual and auditory.“Seeing” the world helps to dispel myths and misconceptions, cultivate empathy and acceptance, and nurture a deeper understanding of our common human experience. JiF employs a long‐term approach for fostering global understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity by developing curricula on selected foreign-language films with engaging narratives, and rich cultural content. Students respond to the characters with identification and empathy. They move beyond engrossing movie narratives toward curiosity and the desire to learn more about our world. New perspectives on diversity have a positive effect on peer relationships .
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
JiF has selected quality, foreign-language films, with young protagonists, and engaging stories. Selected films offer windows into our world, to the unique traditions, values and humor of other cultures. The films not only transport students beyond borders and boundaries; they move beyond lectures and textbooks to provide insight, transform preconceptions and prejudices, and foster genuine cultural understanding. We develop curriculum guides, which walk teachers through lesson plans in math, science, social studies, language-arts and media literacy specifically designed for each Journeys in Film title. We strive to develop competencies in not only core subjects, but also topics which have become critical for students to learn more about—such as poverty and hunger; climate change; global health and pandemics; and immigration. Teacher preparation is critical to student achievement. We conduct professional development for educators to increase their own global awareness while they learn how to maximize our prepared curricula. Educators move beyond teaching the basics: they nurture a higher order of thinking in their students to help them assimilate the complex, media-rich, and globalized world that awaits them." When I think of the Middle East, I think of war and killing. That’s all I hear on the news, but I was terribly wrong. Kids are playing, having fun, and a lot of work being done." "Movies like this make me respect my culture and everyone else’s. I never used to like countries like Iran and Tibet because I figured they were so much different than me." -7th grade students
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Global Film is a non-profit supporting the distribution of films from around the world and presents educational screenings in locations where the film series is touring.They develop discussion guides exploring social, cultural and historical themes introduced by the films, and they promote filmmaking in of itself. This is not a school program, per se. Big Picture Instructional is a for-profit which develops film-based discussion guides on issue-driven films to inspire social action. Young Minds Inspired develops discussion guides for films with no particular focus. Journeys in Film's curriculum guides span between 150 -225 pages and is multidisciplinary. There are a number of organizations focused on global education, however none of them use fully integrated film-based curricula.
Define your company, program, service, or product in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
JiF selects films, develops curricula for all core subjects, and trains educators to teach for global competence and understanding.
Identify what is innovative about your solution in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
JiF uses the power of foreign language films, and quality standards based curricula to inspire students and broaden global understanding
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThis Entry is about (Issues)
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
JiF has reached over 600,000 students. Thousands of teachers have accessed our online lesson plans and 600+ teachers have been professionally trained through our workshops. We have published six comprehensive curriculum guides based on Foreign Language Films for youth. We have completed two research and evaluation projects showing that Journeys in Film students show a change in their perceptions and attitudes, including an increase in positive opinion of other countries and a shift in their belief that American customs are superior to those of other cultures. In one school, the study of Iran led to a discussion about immigration. A shy and withdrawn student shared her family’s history of escape from Iran for the first time. Curious classmates and teachers were provided a first hand account of the hardships involved. Cultural bridges were crossed, and the students had a new perspective on people of Iran, while gaining empathy for this student. She made lots of new friends that day.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
We have begun a formal partnership with the Norman Lear Center (NLC) at the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism in Los Angeles. Our collective goals are to 1) bring JiF’s impressive work to scale and work with a broader audience, beginning with a focus on Los Angeles middle schools; 2) complete middle school program with 5 additional films/countries; 3) expand JiF’s curriculum development to include timely and relevant social issues via a broader film selection process; 4) secure capacity building resources for JiF’s activities; 5) develop and conduct longitudinal evaluation of the impact of JiF’s work; 6) leverage the Lear Center’s strengths on behalf of JiF, and; 7) Plan for our first Summer Institute on Global Education through Film; 8) Train up to 500 teachers.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Despite its new home at the NLC, JiF must still raise funds as an independent project underneath the Lear Center umbrella. JiF is currently working in Los Angeles to strengthen its partnerships with area schools, raise visibility within the community and apply for local and regional funding, especially within the film industry. Funding and outreach issues are compounded by budgetary constraints and the planning and staffing implications of those cutbacks on the schools we serve. We are working to create public private partnerships to help fund our program at public schools in the Los Angeles area. Teachers operate with small budgets and often purchase our guides with their own funds. Our goal is to secure sponsors for each guide, in order to offer them as free downloadable lessons
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Train 100 teachers, impacting 5000 new middle school students with our programming
Task 1
Develop a partnership with a middle school cluster and provide a series of professional development workshops.
Task 2
Secure funding to conduct these professional development workshops.
Task 3
Train 2 additional workshop facilitators.
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Develop a comprehensive evaluation for the longitudinal impact of JiF programs
Task 2
Establish the parameters for research
Task 3
Secure funding for this effort
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world [125 words]
Joanne Ashe is Journeys’ Executive Director. She founded JiF as an extension of her lifelong commitment to education and cross-cultural concerns. A social worker and activist with a master’s degree in education, Joanne's many social justice interests have included calling attention to the plight of orphaned children around the world. Her documentary film, The Waiting Children addressed the issues of international adoption. At the film’s premiere at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival Joanne was struck by the storytelling opportunities of many foreign films. She felt that she had travelled the world through these films, befriended the characters, and gained a new understanding of diverse cultures and global issues. Instead of combating children’s interest in media, why not use films in the classroom as a vehicle for teaching tolerance and engaging youth in human rights issues. She decided that students needed to learn about and understand a culture before authentically engaging in activism.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
JiF recently became a project of USC's Norman Lear Center. We have garnered an excellent reputation and generated nationwide attention via presentations at professional educational conferences and school-district sanctioned events, and through the delivery of quality instructional materials. JiF alliances include: Asia Society, International Studies Schools Association (ISSA), United States Peace Corps, International Baccalaureate North America (IBNA), Teach for America, National Association for Laboratory and Charter Schools, IEARN, Johns Hopkins Center for Summer Learning, and more.
What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section? [75 words]
Anna Rutins, Program Dir, brings 20 years of int'l professional experience to JiF, including 6 years working overseas with various development and government agencies. Eileen Mattingly, Sr. Writer and Professional Development Facilitator has been a curriculum consultant for PBS and presented curriculum workshops for the Natl. Council of Teachers of English, the Natl. Council for the Social Studies. She recently served as Dir. of Coverdell World Wise Schools, & the Natl. Peace Corps' K-12 program. As a project of USC, we have added the resources of a great univiversity with faculty and interns.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Our goal is to be instrumental in shaping a national plan for film education that is researched, comprehensive and deliberate. We welcome collaboration with like-minded orgs, schools, and film companies. We are interested in issues of evaluation and technology. How do we best measure the impact of our work? What are the best platforms for effectively and economically accessing our programs.
Created on 03/27/2012 by lisali.singapore
SchoolAsia.org is a crowd-sourced, carefully-curated free collection of lesson plans and commentaries to enrich education in Asia. Share an idea!
Organization: SchoolAsia.org
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideCountry where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
Non‐profit / NGO / Citizen sector organization
Your role in Education
Teacher.
The type of school(s) your solution is affiliated with
Public (tuition-free)
How long has your organization been operating?
Less than a year
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
How long has your solution been in operation?
Operating for less than a year
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
Most teachers realise the need to foster independent, informed thinking among their students by sensitising them to current affairs, different cultures/ religions, and different perspectives.
Unfortunately, many teachers in government-funded Asian schools lack the time/ resources to do this, due to:
1. Outdated textbooks/ curriculum
2. Inadequate knowledge/ time/ training/ internet access to create engaging, relevant current affairs lessons, featuring different perspectives
3. Censorship of certain perspectives (explicit/ self-imposed)
4. Lack of in-depth mutual understanding between and within countries in Asia, leading to stereotypes/ misrepresentations of each other
* SchoolAsia.org's primary target are teachers in Asia who have internet access
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
We will provide an online, free-access, crowd-sourced, carefully-curated storehouse of lesson plans and commentaries at SchoolAsia.org.
It would:
a) Leverage on the *community's expertise, acting as a connector/ enabler/ multiplier of good ideas, to provide pro-bono lesson plans for teachers on current issues of national/regional importance (Addressing Problems 1., 2.)
*Contributors retain intellectual property rights and are credited in a byline.
b) Aid classroom access to a diversity of views/ pedagogies (eg. encouraging empathic responses to diversity through role-play, bystander intervention, debate, problem-solving) through crowd-sourcing (with Editors ensuring objective critical thought, pedagogical quality control) (Addressing Problem 3.)
c) Stimulate cross-cultural sharing, for greater cultural sensitivity/ understanding beyond national boundaries, interests (Addressing Problem 4.)
d) Gather a community to discuss improvements to local/regional education systems
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
One current controversy in Singapore is the proposed partial destruction of Bukit Brown Cemetery for a road.
It is difficult and time-consuming to construct a coherent narrative of events and factual arguments from a huge volume of disparate media reports. Furthermore, due to popular rhetoric, some teachers (mistakenly perceiving pro-conservation groups as anti-government) may choose to avoid the issue in class.
However, two NGOs contributed lesson plans to objectively examine this dilemma between conservation and development. (See http://backtoschool.publichouse.sg/2012/all-lessons/conservation-develop...)
Teachers can easily use this lesson plan to engage students to understand and empathise* with different perspectives, and learn ways of constructive debate and conflict resolution. (*Further assessment needed to properly gauge lessons' effectiveness.)
Teachers can easily find this lesson on the main page or by searching via Categories (Business, History, Environment, Politics, Society, Culture), Levels (Junior College/ Polytechnic), Activity (Debate, Discussion, Images, Quizzes, Role Play, Video) or tags (Conservation, Development, Future). A search function is also available.
This example is from our pilot project (currently at http://backtoschool.publichouse.sg.) We envision SchoolAsia.Org functioning similarly, featuring crowd-sourced lesson plans/ commentaries to promote critical awareness of current issues and empathic understanding of diverse views.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
There are global lesson plan databases (eg. New York Times Learning Network, National Geographic etc), but these tend to be west-centric. They complement our site, but SchoolAsia.org will have a more local flavour, focusing on Asian current issues, or global affairs viewed through Asian lenses/ contexts.
Locally, schools are also likely have internal resource-sharing systems. These resources can also be shared on our site. SchoolAsia.org aims to complement their good work by actively seeking out vibrant contribution from the wider local/regional community - with stringent editorial checks to ensure high-quality pedagogical control, accuracy and objective critical thought.
Define your company, program, service, or product in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
SchoolAsia.org is a crowd-sourced, carefully-curated free collection of lesson plans and commentaries to enrich education in Asia.
Identify what is innovative about your solution in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
Local crowd-sourcing + regional online idea-exchange + quality control = SchoolAsia.org, supporting teaching and learning in Asia.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThis Entry is about (Issues)
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
Launched 1 Feb 2012, the pilot website (http://backtoschool.publichouse.sg/) has received over 35,000 views, 14 crowd-sourced lesson plans and 9 commentaries.
We are working with 9 NGOs, 3 enterprises, 2 arts companies and many individuals who wish to contribute pro-bono lesson plans or commentaries on improving education in Singapore. Editors ensure accuracy, objectivity, and pedagogical quality control.
Singapore Polytechnic and Singapore's National Institute of Education will be featuring the site as a resource for teachers. We have received a surprising amount of positive anecdotal feedback from teachers, and have been featured on Yahoo! Singapore (Feb 2012), even though the site hasn't yet been publicised by mainstream media or the Ministry of Education. We believe it will grow even more as word gets out.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
1) We aim to garner a steady stream of at least 6 new lesson plans or commentaries per month, per participating country.
2) All schools, NGOs, arts groups, social enterprises, interested individuals in the participating country would know of this site for their use and contribution.
3) We intend to expand to include a Country Editor for Singapore and at least 1 other Asian country, making contact with all education groups and the wider community to promote usage and crowd-sourced contributions.
4) We will conduct surveys/ focus group discussions to assess user-impact and website efficacy, for improvement
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
1) Unpredictable volume of contributions, which are pro-bono. To achieve a steady rate of 6 contributions per month, Country Editors should be prepared to research and create 4 new lesson plans/ commentaries per month, to supplement the crowd-sourced contributions.
2) Lack of quality control. Country Editors need to be stringent about the editorial process, and help refine the lesson plan to ensure objective critical thought/ sound pedagogy.
3) Lack of awareness among local agencies. We plan to contact teachers, schools and organisations directly to garner ground support. Country Editors should maintain good links with civil society/ local media.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
1) Total 36 lesson plans/ commentaries, 2) Develop expansion strategy for 1 other English-speaking Asian country (eg. Malaysia)
Task 1
Contact all 361 schools, as well as NGOs, social enterprises, arts groups etc in Singapore to encourage use and contribution.
Task 2
Develop systematic strategy to assess effectiveness of website, for improvement (eg. focus group discussions/ surveys).
Task 3
Develop strategy for expansion to 1 other English-speaking Asian country, including securing funding, developing SchoolAsia.Org
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
1) Total 72 lesson plans/ commentaries, 2) SchoolAsia.org extended beyond Singapore to 1 other Asian country
Task 1
Continue engagement with all interested individuals, NGOs etc in Singapore and help design lesson plans.
Task 2
Use systematic strategy to assess effectiveness of website, for improvement (eg. focus group discussions/ surveys).
Task 3
Engage with local/regional media, teacher colleges, education groups in 1 other Asian country and search for a local Editor.
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world [125 words]
As a teacher in Singapore with a heavy workload, I often lacked time to create good, updated lessons, even with 24/7 internet access. While global lesson plan databases were useful, they often lacked lessons on Asian/Singaporean issues. My school had a useful internal-sharing system - so why not include community stakeholders for greater synergy?
During my travels in Asia, I saw widely varying needs and resources available to local teachers. While some had easy access to teaching resources, others had limited access and found it hard to use the wealth of information online (eg. reports, videos) in lessons. Why reinvent the wheel when we can share?
The rise of volunteerism in Asia is a form of support, but I found many local teachers preferred to be equipped/ supported in their teaching, rather than rely on external, ad-hoc help. One way to support teachers, and increase regional goodwill and understanding is to share ready-to-use country-specific resources at a one-stop database.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
We're affiliated to publichouse.sg, a Singapore-based website featuring local issues. We feature their writers, and our articles also feature on their portal.
We've received lesson plans/ commentaries from 5 local NGOs (WWF Singapore, a.t Bukit Brown, Migrant Voices, Openlectures, SOS Bukit Brown) and 13 individuals. In the pipeline are contributions from 9 NGOs, 5 companies and other individuals.
We're featured as a teachers' resource on the Singapore Polytechnic and National Institute of Education websites.
What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section? [75 words]
Staff:
1) Country Editors (for Singapore and 1 other Asian country within 12 months). This would have to be someone who is an experienced, innovative, effective teacher with good pedagogical style, close links with civil society, education groups, teaching colleges, NGOs etc, and a passion for this work.
2) Webmaster (to manage website design and troubleshooting)
3) Finance (to manage funds)
Volunteers:
1) Volunteer individual/organisation contributors (to contribute lesson plans, commentaries etc)
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Collaboration:
1) Cross-cultural collaboration of teachers (eg. teaching/ creating lessons together, replicating existing effective programmes)
3) Cross-cultural, free online educational symposiums - perhaps with subtitles
4) Combining cheap laptop/internet technology with lesson plans/ teaching materials for developing countries
5) Need contact with teachers/ media/ civil society in Asia
Created on 03/7/2012 by Joris de Kleer
A community based internet provider in the Netherlands funding a volunteer project that teaches Africans key benefits of the internet.
Organization: Nowyou (concept)
more ↓↑ hide↑ hideThe competition is only open to people between 18-34 years-old and resident in UK, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark or the Netherlands. Does this apply to you
Yes.
Country of residence of entrepreneur
The Netherlands
Tell us about your personal background. Why are you passionate about this issue? Making an idea a reality takes innovation, dedication and strong leadership. Do you have the necessary entrepreneurial skills to realize your vision?
I study advanced business creation, a very new education that teaches concept creation by focusing on creative thinking, innovation and management. I chose this education because i love thinking of new innovative ideas and putting them in to practice. Meanwhile i'm very concerned about where we are going with the earth and it's people. So combining innovation, durability and social entrepreneurship was a chance to do something i love but also to do something that matters.
Country where this project is creating social impact
n/a
Is your organization a
For‐profit
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThe Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
I’m trying to solve the problem of inequality of opportunities between developing country’s and the rest of the world. Internet penetration is shockingly low in a lot of Central African countries, which is an important reason for this inequality.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
My solution is to give the opportunities of the Internet to developing countries in Africa by setting up a volunteer project. I will pay for this project by setting up a unique Internet service provider in the Netherlands. A small part of the income from the Internet service provider will be used to fund the volunteer project that will provide equipment and education programs to teach the people of Africa about key benefits of the Internet, so that they can easily organize, educate and share knowledge. In this way the people of the Netherlands can provide the people of Africa with hope for a better future simply by browsing the web.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
Internet is the driving force behind lots many opportunities for individuals or groups who want to learn new things and put their knowledge to use to improve their lives. In developed countries like the ones participating in this competition these opportunities come naturally, but in developing countries like Ethiopia people have yet to see the chances that the world wide web can provide.
I’m well aware that the first thing people need in developing countries is food and safety and that Internet doesn’t come first when people die of starvation. But consider this old cliché: when you give a man a fish he will be hungry again tomorrow. Teach the man how to fish and he has food for the rest of his life. With this in mind I became convinced that the only way for Africa to catch up with the western civilization is to make a radical jump forward. This jump couldn’t be made until now because the Internet wasn’t mature enough in the past. However, with the coming of social media, the ever increasing user friendliness of the web and the increased simplicity of tablets and other devices Africa is finally ready to embrace the full potential of the internet.
With Internet for Africa, people can learn from each other, organize and take action together or just take the opportunity to educate themselves beyond the level of primary school. These opportunities will facilitate the jump forward needed. And this jump forward will eventually create equal opportunities for all the people in the world.
My business model consists of two phases. Phase 1: Setting up a project to Teach people in Africa the beneficial use of Internet. Phase 2: setting up a unique Internet service provider that resolves around making profit in a social and durable way. I will use this space to elaborate on how I intend to execute those phases and, most importantly, connect the two in one brand.
First of all I need at least one month for research and networking to find out which country is best suited for the project. Looking into possible government support and the involvement of tribal elders will be an important part of the research. Next I will start my company as a community. I will start gathering people who want to join my cause via social media platforms like twitter and Facebook, also to create a positive buzz around the project. I want to be as open as possible and share everything about my business with these people. Once a trusted bond is created (This should be made easier with good interactive marketing) it becomes possible to ask for volunteers for setting up a volunteer project. The project will consist out of 10 – 20 volunteers who will travel to a developing country in Africa. There they will set up Wifi hotspots in schools and villages and educate schoolteachers on how to get the most out of the internet. The schoolteachers can then start spreading this knowledge to their pupils. The education will consist out of creating email addresses for the people, showing them reliable and useful websites and showing them the possibilities of social media. I will travel with the volunteers to follow the proceedings and to manage the project. Besides my attendance there an elaborate briefing will be given to the volunteers beforehand, so they’ll know exactly what to do once they arrive in Africa. I will pay for all the expenses of the volunteers. In the next paragraph I will explain how I plan to get enough budget to do so.
Once it becomes clear that the volunteer project is a success it is time to launch phase two of my business plan: selling internet to the Netherlands. I want to create a commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP) using open source collaboration with my online community. The ISP will offer fast Internet that can compete with speeds of other connections in the Netherlands and will target a group aged between 18 and 28. The Internet services will be sold to homes and businesses for a price that isn’t much higher or lower than those of the competitors. However, this price will be more compelling because a small part of the income from Internet services will be spent on the volunteer project in Africa. After all, people and especially companies are glad to do a little good if it doesn’t cost them extra. It will give them a good feeling and more importantly: it’s very good for a company’s image. The project can be scaled up big once a steady cash flow is established, so that more volunteers can be sent out to more than one country at the same time.
But not all of the income will be used to cover the costs of my business; a small part of it (or so I hope) will be profit. Now this isn’t something I want to hide from the public. I want it to be a very open business and this goes for the profit as well. So what I want to say to my community and the consumers of the Netherland is that my business sells Internet services as prior activity with the Africa project as a side project. If I state this well enough, people will see a commercial business that has some very good causes. What I don’t want is that people will see a foundation that keeps a lot of money to itself.
In order to set up a successful ISP a part of the cable network owned by ‘KPN Telecom’ must be bought using investments (KPN is forced by law to sell parts of its cable network). I would need a small office and hire people to pick up the phone, but with the open source collaboration I won’t need much more than that. There are a lot of examples that this works and that such companies can grow at least as fast as any ordinary company. And this is where my solution to the stated problem makes a difference. My business model won‘t be a case of a business selling a service to the consumers. It will be a case of consumers (my community) selling a service to consumers. This creates trust and the project for Africa will create a willingness to buy. Now add a good helpdesk service and you have a real people’s brand. A brand that is young, friendly, open, fair and above all focused on giving. Giving the opportunities of Internet to Africa simply by browsing the web.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Every Internet service provider in the Netherlands competes with lower pricing and faster connections. Not one of them however communicates a friendly and social proposition in which service is just as important as a fast network. People of the Netherlands are completely fed up with Internet providers who won’t help them with their problems or make them pay way too much. So when I set up an ISP that has an excellent helpdesk service and has some very good causes it is to be expected a lot of people will be glad to make use of this and abandon their former Internet service provider. Some of the bigger Internet service providers may compose a threat, though. These companies have big budgets for advertising and customer relations, which makes it possible for them to establish strong brands.
Select the stage that best applies to your business
Operating for less than a year
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhat is the social impact you have had to date and how you measure it?
I had no social impact to date, for my business is still in the concept stage. However the social impact will be huge if my concept will be implemented. Think about what social media did for countries like Egypt and Tunisia. It brought people together so that they could strive to a better future. I am convinced that this social impact will be just as big in developing countries in central Africa. I will measure this by comparing the increase of Internet penetration between a developing country where the project is running and a country where it’s not.
What barriers might hinder the success of your business? How do you plan to overcome them?
People in Africa have no use for Internet when they can’t access it because of a lack of equipment. This problem is solvable by giving these people tablets for free with the help of 'One laptop per child'.
It may seem unfair to people in my community when some people earn profit and others don’t. To solve this problem I want to promise a share of the company to everybody who helps me with the ISP. Once (or if) it’s listed in the stock market the shares of the company will be divided evenly.
The only way to make the project work when money falls short is to ask volunteers to invest in parts of the project.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow does your model address financial, social, and environmental sustainability?
All of the above contributes to a brand that will stand out from the competition and will be suitable for success. Costs will be relatively low because of high numbers of volunteers working in my business and small marketing budgets. These small marketing budgets will be spent on efficient online campaigns that make use of viral videos, social media, in game advertising, interactive marketing and guerrilla marketing. Meanwhile, if all goes well, steady incomes will be a certainty because their will always be a demand for Internet services. As a result my business will grow. The profits will remain small because of the project for Africa, but the business will be at least financial sustainable.
Now for social sustainability, I think this speaks for itself. There is a long way to go for Africa to embrace the full potential of the Internet. It will take patience and staying power to give the opportunities of Internet to the people of Africa, and there will be other parts of the world that need the opportunities of the World Wide Web as well.
Finally my business will do everything that lies in its power to save the earth from global warming. All networks and servers will run on green power and when we set up Wi-Fi hotspot’s in Africa we will make sure that they get power from solar panels so that there is no pollution whatsoever. Also we will educate teachers in Africa how to teach their pupils how to live green.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow do you see social entrepreneurship contributing to the improvement of developing countries?
Social entrepreneurship is something that should have been started decades ago. The current morale of making as much profit as possible at the expense of the earth and its people is intolerable. For example: big manufacturers like Nike and Converse just close their eyes for the horrors of child labor in developing countries and just smile at the low costs that come with this kind of labor. I’m convinced that the fastest way for developing countries to become civilized is by social entrepreneurship of these big multinationals. But a country can’t develop on better work conditions alone. People in these counties need to wake up and start taking matters in their own hands. No schools? Educate yourself. No work? Start an innovative business. Bad government? Protest via social media and show the world you deserve better. I do know that ‘waking up’ is easier said than done. That’s why every existing company should think of ways to help them do this.
What aspects of your stay in Uganda as part of the competition do you think you will find most challenging and rewarding?
I think it will be very rewarding for me to go to Uganda and see how the people live there. It will be a huge contribution to the research I need to do in order to know how and where I will begin my volunteer project. A man can do much research from a distance, but it will always be subordinate to being in the field. I think the cultural differences will be a big challenge for me (I was in India for three months, but then I was 5 years old) but I’m eager to learn. Finally Uganda seems to be a beautiful country that will surely inspire and surprise me. Any unique and new experience in Uganda will be the most rewarding aspect to me.
Haydrick Healthcare is a company dedicated to putting the patient needs first. We believe that connecting the physician to the patient, the patient to the medical records, and the medical records to both physician and patient digitally are absolutely possible. Our innovative way of providing portable X-Rays to the patient in the comfort of their own homes will drastically reduce wait times in ER departments and cut medical fees for patients with non critical injuries.
Created on 02/21/2012 by IONS
The Worldview Literacy Project advances the development of empathy by fostering appreciation for diverse worldviews and enhancing skills for global citizenship.
Organization: Institute of Noetic Sciences
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideOrganization Name
Institute of Noetic Sciences
Organization Country
United States, CA, Petaluma, Sonoma County
Country where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
Non‐profit / NGO / Citizen sector organization
Your role in Education
Administrator.
The type of school(s) your solution is affiliated with
Public (tuition-free)
How long has your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Growth (your pilot is up and running, and starting to expand)
How long has your solution been in operation?
Operating for 1‐5 years
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
Empathy requires two things: the capacity to recognize another’s state of being and the ability to see another’s point of view (perspective taking). Evolutionary science suggests this is easier to do with people who are MORE like us, and harder with people who are LESS like us. As globalization, technology and urbanization draw together divergent cultures, we face unprecedented challenges in education. The Worldview Literacy Project (WVLP) is an innovative program designed to foster empathy and compassion in middle and high-school students. The pioneering science-based curriculum involves an understanding that beliefs are embedded within personal and cultural frames of reference, and encourages the cultivation of empathy and deep appreciation for diverse perspectives.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
The WVLP focuses not only on what kids know, but how they know it. Using a research-based model, the series of lessons builds essential capacities that science suggests promote empathy and compassion in these domains:
1) Intrapersonal: Students become aware of the way they view the world, their self-identity, beliefs, attitudes, and assumptions. This involves specific experiential exercises designed to increase metacognition, awareness of worldview, cognitive flexibility, and curiosity.
2) Interpersonal/relational: Once students become aware of their own perspectives, we engage them in activities to understand the perspectives of others, their sense of belonging or connectedness to a larger whole, and specific exercises that promote prosocial attitudes and behaviors such as empathy, compassion and forgiveness.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
Our pilot programs with over 1500 students suggest that our focus on developing awareness of worldviews promotes empathy and compassion and fosters social and emotional well-being in children. It provides tools for becoming effective leaders and engaged global citizens. In one classroom that struggled with the challenge of diverse worldviews, for example, the WVLP helped students create a classroom environment of inclusivity and collaboration. By promoting team building through collaborative projects, another group of students applied their new learning by creating an afterschool mentorship program.
In this project, teachers from diverse classrooms will participate in a 3-day professional development workshop to infuse 18 pilot tested, experiential multi-media lessons into their classrooms. This innovative program is available on the Collaborize Classroom online platform (http://www.collaborizeclassroom.com/) allowing it to be easily accessed, distributed widely, and adapted to specific populations, providing the capacity for diverse classrooms across the country and around the world to share learning experiences.
The teacher training will be supplemented by a year-long webinar program offering ongoing support. An online discussion forum will be available for teachers to share best practices, strategize around challenges and possibilities, and communicate stories and results that will inspire others.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Programs like Second Step - teaching skills to help students deal with issues of bullying, conflict, and emotional management, and Roots of Empathy - aiming to reduce levels of aggression among schoolchildren by raising social/emotional competence and increasing empathy (both K-8) are examples of peers. The WVLP differentiates itself through 1) focusing on worldview, 2) targeting middle/high school students, 3) including a component on wise action in the world, and 4) utilizing Collaborize Classroom for ease of use and scalability. Our goal is to collaborate with other programs that are advancing the development of empathy as a core competency.
Define your company, program, service, or product in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
WVLP advances the development of empathy by fostering appreciation for diverse worldviews and enhancing skills for global citizenship.
Identify what is innovative about your solution in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
The WVLP develops worldview awareness, cultural appreciation, and collaboration skills through a multi-media program hosted online.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThis Entry is about (Issues)
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
In 2007, IONS began to translate its decades of research on worldview into curricula for high school students. By 2010 it was pilot tested in 12 diverse classrooms from Oakland, CA to the West Bank of Palestine. Teachers and students found the program inspiring, engaging, and empowering. Based on their feedback we revised and expanded the program to eighteen lessons, making them more accessible, easier to infuse into existing academics, and simpler for teachers to deliver. Now we are formally evaluating the program's effects on empathy, compassion, and classroom environment in 10 classrooms. We have directly impacted over 1500 students, 100 school teachers and many more through a peer-reviewed article and presentations. We have developed a powerful curriculum that we are ready to take to scale.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
Once the current evaluation is complete, and the curriculum finalized, we are ready to take it into the world. We anticipate that in the next 1-3 years we will directly impact a minimum of 100 classrooms and 3000 students. We will also contribute to shifting our educational paradigm through our publications and presentations. An award from Ashoka will help us provide in-depth training to a set of teachers to not only utilize the WVLP to teach skills for navigating different perspectives, but in the art of creating cultures of empathy, appreciation, and curiosity in their classrooms and schools.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Potential barriers to success are accessibility, scalability, and sustainability. To address accessibility and scalability while maintaining high quality, we are taking advantage of in-person training and interactive web-based technologies to distribute lessons, conduct ongoing training and support, and create a community of shared learning. We are addressing sustainability through a combination of philanthropy and social entrepreneurial business planning.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Task 1
i) Conduct a workshop for 25-50 teachers from diverse classrooms to train them in facilitating the WVLP in their classrooms.
Task 2
ii) Develop and deliver a year-long webinar program for ongoing training and support of teachers who are facilitating the WVLP.
Task 3
iii) Finalize a comprehensive business plan for generating revenue, and taking the program to scale.
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Task 1
i) Evaluate the effects of the WVLP in classrooms on empathy, classroom climate, student engagement, and academic achievement.
Task 2
ii) Based on outcomes of evaluation, refine WVLP curriculum to enhance student engagement and deliverability.
Task 3
iii) Secure additional philanthropic support and implement the initial stages of a revenue-generating business plan.
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world [125 words]
Deeply engaged in a decade-long research project to study the world’s spiritual traditions, I was invited to share my findings with my son’s cub scout troop, exploring cultural pluralism and sharing video-recorded practices from different cultures. While watching a Sufi Zikr, one boy quickly reported: “I know all about Islam. Those people don’t want us in their country!” We discussed this, noting that there are many Muslim people who would love us to come to their country. The boys’ eyes lit up with curiosity, stereotypes dropped away, and the young men questioned their assumptions as never before. Over time, the work has expanded into a complex and rich curriculum for students to understand the sources of their beliefs and deepen their appreciation and empathy for diverse worldviews.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
The key to creating programs that enhance empathy and enable students to become effective global citizens in the 21st century is going to be partnering with organizations that can help expand the work into the global environment. For example, we would like to increase our collaborations with our growing network of educators, such as the Association of Science Educators, Teachers without Borders, the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning, and the Roots and Shoots program which would enable allow us to take the program to classrooms across the world.
What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section? [75 words]
We have created a multi-disciplinary and passionate team of scientists, educators, business development experts, and website developers. A volunteer team of interns has contributed to media content, and an advisory team of teachers and high school students has informed the curriculum throughout. A collaboration with the pro-bono Community Partners Program of Harvard Business School has allowed us to expand our business planning and development.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
We are seeking to grow a multidisciplinary team of content experts and change agents who can aid us in our goal of taking The Worldview Literacy Project to scale and creating collaborative classrooms across the world. In this process, we are seeking both philanthropic support and business investment, marketing, and distribution partnerships as well as teachers.
Created on 02/12/2012 by TreyceMontoyaMPsyD
By starting at pre-school age, we can help invoke change in the world by building empathy with HFT. Without learning cursive writing, empathy is impossible!
Organization: Written Escape Clinics
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideCountry where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
Please select
The type of school(s) your solution is affiliated with
How long has your organization been operating?
Please select
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Scaling (the next step will be growing impact on a regional or even global scale)
How long has your solution been in operation?
Operating for more than 5 years
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
Invoking change starting at pre-school is important with our program because, without empathy, we will never reach global peace. Without learning cursive handwriting (whether or not we still utilize cursive now) it is psychologically impossible to learn empathy.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Elementary schools in over 40 states in the USA, as well as many international countries have completely eliminated any type of curriculum involving penmanship. While most of our youth cannot even write legibly, the problem is deeper than that! Another problem is, if a child NEVER learns how to write in cursive, it is IMPOSSIBLE for him to learn empathy. That means we have uncaring youth and crimes being committed at ages as young as 3 years old. Another problem is that, without developing the handwritten motor skills, memory and overall brain activity suffers because handwriting is # 2 on the list of activities that uses THE MOST BRAIN ACTIVITY (second only to language). Because of this, students are missing out valuable learning tools. One research project at an Indiana University studied the brain patterns in preschool kids. The kids who knew how (and practiced) handwriting had an increased recognition and neutral brain activity.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
** A TELEVISION SHOW & INTERNATIONAL SPEAKING MISSION ** I created a unique holistic therapy program in 1987 for ages 9 - 99 called "Handwriting Formation Therapy" or HFT. To-date, hundreds of children and adults around the world have changed their life... including juveniles on probation. In fact, in 2006, I led the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission research project that involved anonymously placing their hard to treat juveniles through my six month HFT program. It was aimed at reducing crime recidivism rates in the juveniles to help eventually prevent the over-crowding of adult prisons. The state agreed to trace their backgrounds for 5 years to see if they had reoffended. While all of these juveniles improved grades, social behaviors, and familial relationships, the most important fact is that, to-date, none of the juveniles have re-offended.
At www.RewriteMyLifeTV.com you can view sample pilot shows with real clients using no scripts. The show has been requested by hundreds of people all over the world but we just launched our channel.
The "Handwriting Formation Therapy" program is a non-traditional and holistic program in which many people have been able to leave their psychological medications permanently. In today's society too many people are enabled by the pharmaceutical companies, dependent upon these medications & living freely off of social security with no real desire to change or enhance their lives (the system is enabling and not helping as a whole).
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
No competitors - nobody has my reputation and I am the first person in modern history to create a program like this. The challenges we have are financial and many people who have been exposed to our science unethically (psychic-fairs, carnivals, etc.)
Define your company, program, service, or product in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
Healing the seeds of trauma in children & adults to help invoke worldwide healing, peace, and change. We would use our tv show & more.
Identify what is innovative about your solution in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
I am the 1st person in modern history to create a program like this. It has been proven 100% successful in stopping criminal behavior!
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThis Entry is about (Issues)
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
It has been 100% successful worldwide with children, teens, and adults since 1987. In fact, the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission still uses it because it has been proven to stop juvenile crime recidivism rates. In addition, it has been successful in helping people get OFF of psychological medications, get out of abusive relationships, get off drugs / alcohol abuse, heal from trauma such as sexual abuse, and more. Hear some testimonials at www.WrittenEscape.com
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
To have an major television reality show that will allow viewers to follow the success of our clients on-air as well as be able to travel the world and speak publicly about the importance and strength of the program. This includes radio and television interviews. I have already published 15 books and more so I am highly qualified in both education and skill to represent this program that I created in 1987 that also saved my life.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
The challenges we have are financial and many people who have been exposed to our science unethically (psychic-fairs, carnivals, etc.)
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
We have many self-assessments, surveys by agencies, and weekly follow up with clients.
Task 1
Locate a contingency-based Grant Writer
Task 2
Find sponsors to help us travel and speak about this program internationally
Task 3
Have our television reality show on-air on mainstream cable or networks.
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Same because, with those, we will be effecting global change
Task 1
Obtain funding from the use of a Grant Writer
Task 2
Utilize funding from sponsors to cover travel-related & speaking costs
Task 3
Maintain our television show to help those at home heal themselves by being inspired by our on-air clients.
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world [125 words]
When it saved myself from an abusive and near-deadly marriage in 1986, I realized the power of this. Then, when it was proven to 100% stop crime recidivism rates in 2006, I had my reaffirmation that this is where I'm supposed to be and my mission for the world was established.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
Center of Families with Children in Dallas, Texas - a non-profit
What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section? [75 words]
We have a volunteer and fully trained team of 16 Handwriting Formation Therapists that help oversee success.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Created on 02/5/2012 by Paulina del Carmen
Quality information on new treatments being used already in some parts of the world - linked to top hospitals and clinics worldwide
read more ↓↑ hide↑ hideCountry where this project is creating social impact
n/a
Is your organization a
For‐profit
How long has your organization been operating?
Please select
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
References - Please provide two references with a two-sentence biography, email address, and phone number for each
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Idea (you're poised to launch)
How long have you been in operation?
Still in idea phase, but looking to launch soon
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your innovation addresses? Choose up to two
Access.
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
Doctors and researches come up with new treatments in different parts of the world, and they start working on them in the clinics/hospitals they work in. Access to this new treatments to people worldwide is limited, and the spread of those new treatments is slow to other countries
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
A cloud based, fee-paid, information and booking system that can be accessed by patients from anywhere in the world, in many different languages; that sources information from the most innovative doctors working in hospitals and clinics wherever in the world they might be.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
*A doctor develops and tests a new procedure
*The details of the procedure and the doctor and hospital are posted
*Patients worldwide pay a fee and access information on the procedure and the doctor
*Patients can choose to pay a doctor fee and send exams etc on-line to doctor to see if they could benefit from the new treatment
*Based on doctor's feedback patients decide to book an appointment with doctor
*Site has association with other companies to make the trip also easier
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
*Many organizations, hospitals, universities, that provide partial information for free. We will create a trusted brand and provide quality.
*Sites with traditional and non-traditional information published like www.newcures.info
*Government organizations like http://clinicaltrials.gov/ which provide information on trials. We would focus on treatments that have passed the trial stage and have not become mainstream yet.
*Organizations like www.shopdoc.com that list doctors in different specialties and locations. We will focus on the best and most innovative clinics and hospitals worldwide
*Word-of-mouth and sending doctors information requests or booking with them without a prior on-line interaction. Our system will help so the customer will be willing to pay the fee
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
As I was discussing with a friend a couple ideas I have about telemedicine - which in principle are more complex than this one - I just thought: "what if I start focusing on the information side first?". Then I discussed with 2 friends that have doctors in their families - one mentioned his brother is practicing a new type of surgery and the procedure is not known here - he has refered people to him. My other friend said her brother had developed some device and would need to spread the use - though this last one is not exactly the core of my plan it is a potential extension of it. She as many other friends 'potential' users of the idea have been very supportive of it.
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve
Faster and more global access to new treatments developed in medicine - true, would serve initially people that can pay for it, but I believe innovations like this have a cascading effect to the whole society
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
What is your projected impact over the next five years?
To have created a trusted central point of information that almost starts feeding itself (quality control will always need to be there) because doctors see the benefit of sharing their new treatments through it, and patients are using it more and more to get access to the latest treatments available independent of national rules, trials and regulations. Maybe doctors will be using it also to plan updates to their skills and practices.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Quality - we will establish a process that will be followed everywhere in the world before anything gets published; we will ensure complete transparency to users - as of potential risks of treatments and the many or few cases that so far have been treated
maybe some governments or hospitals will be weary of the idea - mistrusting quality and concerned by the protection of people from 'fake doctors' or 'not 100% proven risks'. This site will work only with legal hospitals and clinics around the world. This site is a tool for information and contact only - the patient will visit the doctor like any time now and will make his own judgement about his/her credibility. Currently, people do the same just information is not so easily accessible.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Have the product in place and buy-in from 5 to 10 credible hospitals
Task 1
Create a list of hospitals and clinics worldwide (define the initial countries to be sourced)
Task 2
Prepare the site mock version, and the sourcing and quality process to be presented
Task 3
Get buy-in from source of information and create the product
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
launch the first pro-type of the site with at least 20 different new treatments in 2 languages
Task 1
Hire 'consultants' to help continue recruiting hospitals/clinics
Task 2
Start marketing process - tracking use and numbers - start directed publicity funding
Task 3
Identify 'the' quality on-line medical translation to work with
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
I am looking for a couple partners - someone with medical experience and someone with internet marketing experience in the e-commerce and/or healthcare sector
Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your innovation? If so, where and why?
The project would not be geographically targeted - from the source of information yes, from the available languages yes, but access would be hopefully global
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
The success factors will be clarity of purpose, create but flexible plan and targets, ability to share a vision with the source of information, market and gain trust within users of service, and maintain low operating expenses
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Al Ain United Arab Emirates
GLOBAL ENGLISH SCHOOL is committed to the communities we serve through the long term provision of high quality education, continued enhancement of facilities, infrastructure and teaching methodology. Students in GES are taught the values and responsibilities needed to become active members of the local and global community.
Dubai United Arab Emirates
While we have demanded academic excellence, we have also focused on creating well rounded individuals. Our graduates are curious, fearless, independent thinkers — aware of their environment and the needs of the world they live in.They have a global perspective, academic rigor, and a healthy body. They are confident in expressing themselves in multiple languages — publicly and in large groups.
Dubai United Arab Emirates
We believe that a high quality education, with an international outlook, is critical in an increasingly competitive global environment. ‘Globalisation’ maybe the catch-cry of today but we have acknowledged its impact for decades, and prepared our students accordingly.
Created on 01/30/2012 by Elizabeth Peacock
Mothering Across Continents: "Adopting Dreams. Raising Tomorrow's Leaders."
Organization: Mothering Across Continents
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Mothering Across Continents
Organization Country
United States, NC, Charlotte, Mecklenburg County
Country where this project is creating social impact
United States, NC, Charlotte, NC and Atlanta, GA, Mecklenburg County
Is your organization a
Non‐profit / NGO / Citizen sector organization
Your role in Education
Other.
The type of school(s) your solution is affiliated with
Public (tuition-free)
How long has your organization been operating?
1‐5 years
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Growth (your pilot is up and running, and starting to expand)
How long has your solution been in operation?
Operating for less than a year
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
Today’s youth are increasingly called to be global citizen leaders and more interested than ever by international issues and opportunities to be changemakers. Research shows that teachers, parents and youth benefit greatly on the occasions that such projects provide opportunities to personally connect with the issues and people affected. Well managed learning and service project experiences leave students feeling connected as humans and empowered as changemakers. However, the same research shows that teachers, parents and students are frustrated by expectations that they raise funds for projects without a very personal understanding of the need they are supposed to address or the satisfaction of seeing if the funds they have raised result in a direct, positive global social impact.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
The Global Class is an innovative youth education and leadership development program focused on high schools. The program uses a unique three-part model of “KNOWLEDGE, CONNECTION, ACTION” that raises and accelerates understanding of global issues and provides students with coaching to take collective and collaborative action in their cities.
KNOWLEDGE occurs through a Resource Guide about five global issues that makes it easy for high school teachers to integrate lessons into curricula.
CONNECTION occurs through a dedicated online platform where teachers and students can retrieve up-to-date materials, discuss issues, debate and brainstorm.
ACTION involves an ambitious challenge project by which students interact with individuals and communities that have been personally affected by conflict, lack of water, poverty and hunger and then raise funds to change the situation through a specific international project where the impact of their funds can be seen and measured.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
In the 2011-12 school year, The Global Class participants include 400 high school student leaders working on a challenge project and 2,000 students learning about related global issues in their classrooms.
A central element of their experience stems from MAC’s adaptation of a philosophy that NPR’s Story Corps calls, “Listening is an Act of Love.” Through assemblies, small groups and individual discussions, students learn by listening to people from other parts of the world share stories, challenges and dreams for the future. They are asked along the way, “Why should you care?” Through The Global Class, students have been learning about the physical and emotional journeys of former Lost Boys of Sudan who live in the students’ communities. Nearly 30,000 grew up in refugee camps. Through The Global Class, students have met former Lost Boys and been free to ask questions about what it feels like to leave your family, know years later that most of them have been killed, work hard to create a new life in a foreign land, and still hold out hope for the future of a place that hurt you.
A specific example of the model at work lies with Independence High School (IHS) in Charlotte, NC. This year, with support from The Global Class, the IHS Academy of International Studies is devoting a learning unit within each grade level to one of five global issues featured in The Global Class Resource Guide. Student leaders are showing videos about global water issues at the school and organizing assemblies and events with a goal of registering 500 participants for a 5K for clean water.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Invisible Children, New Global Citizens and Building Tomorrow, for example, are organizations with very thoughtful frameworks for students that provide opportunities to support international development projects. However, these groups are not structured to tailor global issues education to an individual school’s needs or provide local, frequent hands-on support.
NAIS Challenge 20/20 and One World Youth Project provide educators with an opportunity to connect across cultures and countries, but classes often struggle with how to engage with specific development projects over time.
Several teachers have remarked, "It can be very stressful trying to help these students make change. You make it easy for us to run a complex serving learning program without being burdened.”
Define your company, program, service, or product in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
KNOWLEDGE.CONNECTION.ACTION: understand global issues, connect with those affected, and team up with other schools to cause real change
Identify what is innovative about your solution in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
The Global Class integrated materials, online platform and collaborative challenge projects help schools be ambitous global changemakers
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What has been the impact of your solution to date?
The Global Class was first piloted/tested in 2010-11 in six public and private schools in Charlotte, NC and Atlanta, GA. In July 2011 the program officially launched. In the 2011-12 school year, it is serving 18 schools to date in these cities. On a one-year budget of $45,000, we will have trained 400 student leaders, provided in-classroom materials to 9,000 students, and actively engaged 2,000 students in activities to learn about the former Lost Boys of Sudan and work on service project fundraisers to build schools and provide access to clean water. In the most affluent school settings, students have been moved (sometimes to tears) when they consider their own childhood experiences against those of children at one time referred to as “the boys who ate leaves.” Students in at-risk, challenged schools have been moved to say, “I thought I had it bad. These guys really did. They don’t seem angry. And they only think about the future.”
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
In the next 1-3 years, we envision becoming the go-to global education resource for the school districts in which we work. This means continuing to provide a flexible, adaptable curriculum for educators—one that ensures students have the opportunity to connect with other future global leaders, as well as children who will in turn become empowered as a result of challenge project fundraising through The Global Class. For the 2012-13 school year, based on funding, we forecast expanding to 40 participating public and private schools (a doubling of 2011-12). This would translate as The Global Class and The Global Class Online (our technology platform) potentially serving 200 teachers (5 actively involved at each school) and 20,000 students combined in the classes they teach.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Many schools still rely on traditional methods of fundraising—small scale initiatives completed independently by a few students without connection to fund recipients. This is especially true of international service projects and fundraising. The Global Class uses technology and hands-on coaching/training to shift this paradigm; however, a surprising number of schools lack hardware and software that makes is possible to do collaborative technology-supported fundraising and project planning. Ensuring adequate support and ease-of-use for program technology is a hurdle that we continue to address. This is why we are excited to be a finalist for an opportunity such as the Technology Innovation Award, which would help upgrade and expand our online platform and make it easier to engage students.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
In August 2012, we will host an intensive kick-off workshop and training for school administrators, teachers and students.
Task 1
Secure funding/ expertise to underwrite continuation and expansion of the program ($45,000, plus anticipated $18,000)
Task 2
Present results of 2011-12 to key influencers in the educational system, including the NC Global Schools Network
Task 3
Report results of 2011-12 program to participating schools and secure commitments for “re”-participation in 2012-13
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
The program is currently focused in GA and NC; we hope to begin super-regional or national expansion by the end of 12 months.
Task 1
Secure funding to train and support part time staff and volunteer managers beyond GA, NC and SC
Task 2
Move to more virtual training platforms that make the process scalable and efficient (adequate ROI even with expansion)
Task 3
Support communications technology enhancements at international project sites to continue adding value to the program
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world [125 words]
Patricia Shafer, Chief Catalyst (Executive Director), founded MAC to give women a place to grow and develop as global volunteers, advocates and changemakers. As the number of MAC-supported projects increased, students and educators began to come forward requesting guest presentations and opportunities to fundraise. The “Aha!” is that the act of “Mothering Across Continents” is not gender or age specific. Students, well-supported, have as much or more potential to be change catalysts as anyone. The opportunity was to create a platform that linked learning with coaching and leadership development to empower them to dream big but be able to follow through with new project management, planning and advocacy skills.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
Mothering Across Continents pursues strategic collaborations in all of its projects. The Global Class has developed strong relationships with administrators in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system. Additionally, an in-kind gift and partnership with the software company Exgage made the initial launch of The Global Class Online possible this year.
What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section? [75 words]
Currently, The Global Class is supported by one full-time staff member, MAC Education Program Manager Elizabeth Peacock. We anticipate that a part-time staff person/volunteer (at around 10-15 hours a week) will be necessary to provide hands-on training and support as the program expands to new markets. A part-time (rather than hourly contracted) web designer will be necessary to ensure technical support, development and trouble-shooting for The Global Class Online. Lastly, an intern from an area college will provide marketing and communications support for the program.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Collaboration is a trademark of MAC. We are always open to new collaborative partnerships with schools and school districts, particularly those actively seeking ways to tangibly improve global education in their school communities. We can bring a great deal to the table in terms of best practices regarding youth philanthropy and global service learning, many derived from lessons we learned the ha
Created on 01/30/2012 by spiderweb
Approximately 20 words left (160 characters).
Organization: The Centers for Interamerican Studies
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideOrganization Name
The Centers for Interamerican Studies
Country where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
Non‐profit / NGO / Citizen sector organization
Your role in Education
Resource Officer, Student, Teacher.
The type of school(s) your solution is affiliated with
Private (tuition-based)
How long has your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Established (past the previous stages and has demonstrated success)
How long has your solution been in operation?
Operating for more than 5 years
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
The need we are trying to solve is providing children with an elementary school education that prepares them to be happy, productive global citizens. Many people view education as a means of getting ahead and making a lot of money. Our idea is to give the students strong values - honesty, integrity, love of your fellow man, consideration of the environment, etc. We want to help the children discover their talent and foster development of their talent. We want the children to enjoy learning in an environment that allows them some freedom to explore and experience.
We believe that children with special learning needs should go to school with other children. All children have special learning needs. CEDEI School seeks to treat each child as an individual and tailor learning to that child.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
CEDEI has created an environment where the children are developing skills and values of compassion, empathy, environmental stewardship, multiculturalism, inclusive world-view for people of different backgrounds and capacities, critical thinking skills, peaceful resolution to conflict, fluency in 2 languages with a high level in a third language, and an expanded world view. Our students are taught in a dynamic education model that values experiential learning, multiple intelligences, and emotional stability. They seek creative resolution to social and environmental issues that affect us all at the local and global level by participating in projects of volunteerism in the community and studying a curriculum that is global in its application. We have cultivated a space of mutual respect and a sense of co-creation of our school between students, parents, and school staff.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
A child that takes the education journey through CEDEI School does indeed conclude that journey with admirable values, valuable knowledge, and a love of learning. Jacques Barzum stated: "In teaching you can not see the fruit of a day´s work. It is invisible and remains so, maybe for twenty years." We do take some exception to the quote. We see the results with our students in their treatment of special needs children, animals, plants, foreigners, adults, etc. The children reflect the values championed for them and radiate the joy of learning. We measure and observe their progress.
The student´s parents are an important part of the education team. They are at the school frequently. The parents tell us about the success. The parents teach and learn too.
More information is provided on CEDEI School on our website www.cedei.org . CEDEI School is one of three schools that CEDEI Foundation offers. CEDEI is a non-profit foundation that has as its mission to develop quality education and foster understanding among people of different cultures.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Our peers are mostly other elementary schools that use a traditional education model. We do not view these schools as competitors but rather other educators trying to do their best. CEDEI School freely shares ideas with other schools and day care centers.
Surprisingly, schools have a difficult time to innovate and adjust to changed education needs because they are often bound by government regulations or organizational norms. CEDEI School does meet the education requirements of the government and we stay true to our founding ideals. Our biggest challenge is getting parents to understand that what we are championing is best for their children. It is a movement away from materialism and some other popular beliefs.
Define your company, program, service, or product in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
The CEDEI School´ elementary school model could be employed in other places. The written story of the school would allow others to copy.
Identify what is innovative about your solution in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
The School has the conscious intention of teaching values, as well as, traditional knowledge and subjects.Being inclusive is innovative.
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What has been the impact of your solution to date?
The School has been educating for about 10 years. The School provides an example in the community for all educators of joining compassion, values, and knowledge acquisition. It will take more time for our graduates to enter the community and the full impact of the school to be witnessed and felt.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
Our expectation is that CEDEI School will grow in enrollment by about 60% to reach the capacity of the physical facility. We expect the enrollment of special needs children to grow similarly. We expect that community recognition of our admirable model of education to grow dramatically. We expect to collaborate more with other elementary schools and day care centers.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Some parents do not want to send their children to a "special education" school. CEDEI School is not. It is an inclusive elementary school. We must continue to educate parents and the community that inclusion is the proper way. We are aided in this by a federal government that is pro inclusion.
It is more expensive to be an inclusive school. This means that our tuition is higher than traditional elementary schools. We must continue to convince parents that this is an investment in their children living a happy, productive life.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
One means of tracking growth is an increasing enrollment. We hope to grow our enrollment by about 20 % (20 students).
Task 1
We must do better in making prospective parents and students aware of our school - informative advertising.
Task 2
We must continue to execute great, value-based educating. One means is consciously building empathy educating in classcirriculum
Task 3
We must continue our active role in community events that display our admirable education model.
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Certainly continue 6 month initiatives and think more on a regional or national level.
Task 1
Continue with informative advertising
Task 2
Continue with community outreach and participation in events. Consider national exposure.
Task 3
Tell our story to key community leaders like the Rotary Club. Take advantage of our international reach.
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world [125 words]
In 2000, CEDEI began to investigate options for early childhood and primary education. Research indicated that children learn languages well, yet, most 2nd language teaching by schools started late. A founding objective was to teach additional languages sooner. A second key objective was to foster in children a desire to learn and this lead to adopting experiential methods. Another founding objective was to teach values and try to interrupt the cycle of prejudice (racism, sexism, etc.) contained in all cultures.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
We were "adopted" by the Miss Cuenca nominee one year.
The city of Cuenca municipal government one year provided a grant. This money was mostly restricted to employing additional medical personal for our special needs students.
What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section? [75 words]
We remain committed to employing outstanding teachers. Our teacher group is formed of national and international teachers. It is expensive to recruit and employ international teachers. However, we believe that this is a key element of our education model. The success of this is reflected in our students learning, particularly languages, and their exposure to cultural diversity.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
We would like to identify and develop an "empathy learning space" (room). We envision this space containing props (costumes, model hurt animal, etc.) to create a scene in which the children can play out situations requiring them to consider good or not so good actions in a circumstance requiring empathy. We would use our prize money to partially invest in this space.
Created on 01/26/2012 by yfatoki
PWLS is a company that uses internet technology to deliver treatment for obesity and obesity related disorders.
Organization: Practical Weight Loss Solutions
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Practical Weight Loss Solutions
Organization Country
United States, IL, Calumet City, Cook County
Country where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
For‐profit
How long has your organization been operating?
1‐5 years
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
References - Please provide two references with a two-sentence biography, email address, and phone number for each
Linda J Milenkovski, MBA: Linda has more than 25 years of Financial Management experience with several healthcare organizations. She became an ardent supporter of the PWLS concept after achieving success with it.
email: milenkovski@comcast.net
Tel: (219) 688-7370
Tope Adedara, MBA,CPA: Tope is a business consultant and auditor with a background in engineering. Tope became a founding partner in PWLS after he modified his lifestyle and lost weight with the PWLS concept.
email: tope.adedara@krystalconsultinginc.com
Tel: (847)560-1145
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for 1‐5 years
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your innovation addresses? Choose up to two
Transparency, Quality.
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
Obesity and obesity related disorders continue to be a world wide problem. Consequences of obesity include heart disease, stroke, non-insulin dependent diabetes, and certain cancers like breast, endometrial, colon and prostate cancer. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity has doubled worldwide since 1980. 1.5 billion adults are overweight and almost 43 million children under the age of 5 were overweight in 2010. Of the 1.5 billion overweight adults, more than 200 million men and over 300 million women are obese. Obesity and obesity related disorders continue to increase worldwide despite education, meal replacements and drugs to treat diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
The conventional wisdom of limiting calories, fats, carbohydrates and sugar has not done much to control the obesity epidemic as evidenced by WHO and CDC statistics. This in our opinion, suggests that the underlying concepts of obesity treatment are likely flawed which is why all the current treatment keep producing the same results i.e. increased prevalence of obesity, diabetes, heart disease etc. Our proposed solution is to educate people about food choices and change the focus from calories and fat. Our solution discourages dieting but instead educates people about making better food choices based on the individual preferences. The solution is web-based and provides access to trained practitioners. Each person gets an individualized plan based on their response to a comprehensive health questionnaire. The program is interactive and patient centered. Each participant will be provided a scale and blood pressure to obtain and input their individual measurements into the system.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
Each participant logs on to a secure website and completes a comprehensive health questionnaire including a detailed nutritional history. In addition he or she will provide measurements including height, weight, body fat, body water and blood pressure measurements. A trained health practitioner (physician or mid-level) provider reviews the information and categorizes the foods into 3 main categories. An individualized report is generated based on the information provided. The report includes education about the pathophysiology of obesity, morbidity and cancer risks, reading food labels, recommendations for routine health screening and how to attain a proper balance with food choices based on our protocol. The program makes nutritional suggestions based on individual food choices, which makes it adaptable to any ethnic or geographical location worldwide. Our program acknowledges the importance of physical activity in achieving and maintaining weight loss. We obtain information on patient's current activity level and use it to provide an individualized activity plan. In addition, the clinicians advise the patients on age and sex specific routine health care so they can discuss it with their Primary Care Providers if not done yet. The clients would provide us with the results if and when done. We know that one of the problems with other programs is their one size fits all approach which may not be practical so our clients receive an individualized plan based on their age, sex, activity level and medical issues.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Our competitors are commercial weight loss programs like weight watchers, nutrisystem and food companies that specialize in developing low calorie/low fat foods and meal replacements. We are different from them in that we encourage people to eat foods that are locally available to them. We do not sell or endorse any processed food products and actually discourage their use. The challenge is that we do not have the capital to advertise like the major market players do. We expect negative campaigning against our solution because it challenges conventional wisdom and practice. Our concept has proven successful in a medical weight loss practice. We encourage our patients to obtain blood tests to show the improvements in their blood sugar and cholesterol in addition to their appearance.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
I became interested in obesity and obesity related disorders in 2007 because I realized that standard medical treatments for obesity diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease were not very effective. I started my bariatric practice with a focus on counting calories, carbohydrates, fat and sugar. In 2010, I had a patient who stopped losing weight have faithfully following the program. She kept very detailed records and categorized everything she ate, so I could not convince myself that she was non-compliant. While trying to figure out what to tell her, I drew a pie chart and realized that the ratio of what she ate after 3 months in the program was exactly the same as it was when she started. I realized that the ratio and quality of the foods made a bigger difference than calories. I have also observed that processed foods have a more negative impact on obesity and health compared to fat or calories.
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve
Our goal is to offer a practical solution for weight loss and the treatment of obesity related disorders. The program is designed to be practical, simple, economical and effective. We want it to be adaptable worldwide and give people an opportunity to still eat the foods they like while educating them about the negative health consequences of certain foods. We are discouraging diet because many dieters have difficulty maintaining weight loss. We want to help reduce the prevalence and consequences of obesity worldwide by evidence-based unbiased information. We want to offer our services to more people than just those who come to our medical practice. We stress the importance of effective Physical activity plan with a goal of 150 minutes or more per week at moderate 0r higher intensity.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
We have been able to help people lose weight and maintain the weight loss. In addition, we have many patients ho have improved their diabetes, heart disease, cholesterol, arthritis, blood pressure and overall health. People have been more willing to obtain screening tests like pap smears, mammograms and colonoscopies when they have been educated about their increased risks for morbidity and mortality from these diseases because of obesity. Blood tests to check kidney and liver function have shown that our intervention does not have a negative effect. We have seen a growth in referrals from patients and other providers that we are unable to see all the patients, which is why we developed the online solution.
What is your projected impact over the next five years?
Over the next 5 years, we project that our online solution will have at least 5000 active users as we have more success stories. We expect that their will be studies designed to prove or disprove our theory and concept. As more evidence emerges to confirm our findings, the focus of obesity treatment will shift from what is acceptable today. The use of appropriate technology would be vital in providing services for our clients. We plan to work with other health care providers as a site where they refer patients than have BMI in the obese range for assistance. In addition to helping with obesity and its related health related problems that lead to increased morbidity, our clinicians will identify patients that lack routine preventive healthcare. These clients would be advised accordingly.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
The biggest barrier that may hinder our success is capital. It takes a significant amount of money to continue to improve our software and market our program. Another barrier is that we are competing against established market players and conventional thinking. We plan to overcome these by seeking investors who can provide more capital. We also plan to publish a book to disseminate our concept and encourage the public to give our solution a try for 3 months during which time they will notice an improvement in their condition. We plan to use social media to advertise. In addition, we will develop a phone app and continue to make our software more user friendly. The society expects a quick fix. Patient education on overcoming the identified barriers and how to exercise and is needed.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Task 2
Sign up atleast 500 active users
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Task 1
Collect and analyze data about participants
Task 2
Partner with and integrate software with other providers
Task 3
Develop program specific questions and improve useability of software
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
There are currently four partners in this business venture:
1. Adeyemi Fatoki, MD. Medical Director
2. Olawale Akinosun. CEO
3. Akin Fatoki, MD. Medical Director
4. Babatope Adedara. CFO
Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your innovation? If so, where and why?
We are targeting people who have tried other commercial weight loss programs without success and are ready for a change. In addition, we are targeting people with poorly controlled non-insulin dependent diabetes, hypertension,
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
It is web-based and convenient. The work schedule is flexible for our providers and members. Members can obtain evidence-based information and feedback at the comfort of their home. Providers can provide care at their convenience using the PWLS protocol and software that is about 60% automated.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
As a start up internet company, our biggest need is to spread the word about our product. Once we get the initial exposure, we believe the success of our members will fuel our growth.
This project also has a Changeshop where you can read more about its latest progress.
Go to Changeshop: UniVersUs.
Created on 01/24/2012 by Fig
UniVersUs makes games played between foreign classrooms that mix education with creating international connections and deeper cross-cultural understanding.
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Is your organization a
Non‐profit / NGO / Citizen sector organization
Your role in Education
Other.
The type of school(s) your solution is affiliated with
Public (tuition-free)
How long has your organization been operating?
Less than a year
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Idea (you're poised to launch)
How long has your solution been in operation?
Still in idea phase, but looking to launch soon
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
The problem I want to solve is how to create international empathy without the luxury of a common language.
American education tends away from a global perspective; we are an ethnocentric culture. In order to survive and thrive in our global world we need to start emphasizing understanding of other cultures in our educational system. Part of the greater problem is the self-created insulation of the digital age. If we choose not to engage outside of our comfort zone, we can stay indefinitely insulated from global issues. Creating an individual and specific emphatic connection between students of different nationalities is a great challenge when they can talk to each other. How do we go about this if they cannot?
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Our solution is to make and promote games that can do one or both of the following: a) can be played, predominately cooperatively, without a common language and through a basic internet connection b) will teach necessary common vocabulary in both players languages within the game as part of a language learning environment.
Playing together is proven to increase our empathy for one another. We like each other more when we have engaged in a game together, even if we lose. What is more, games are enjoyable. We want to play, and that will pull students together as much as the actual content of the game.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
When the pilot game is created, this is how it would work:
1) UniVersUs pairs and trains teachers from two classrooms, one in the US and one abroad. To begin with, the teachers should have a common language. Both will be walked through the game and prepared to walk their class through any basic problems. UniVersUs would over see the technical aspects of the connection, and especially at the beginning of the program, be on hand to help.
2) The game is introduced to the students and played between the two classrooms for as long or short as the curriculum allows time.
How this will make a difference:
The established connection will depend on the teachers and the students. At the very least it will broaden student perception of who is out there in the world and give them something in common with people abroad. At its best, the possibilities are vast and far ranging. Students could end up collaborating on any number of projects, they could fundraise for each other and end up traveling to meet face to face, they could participate in social outreach, in art or business collaborations. This is going to vary depending on the students and a number of other factors, but the humanizing aspect of working together in a play space will be the most basic part of the experience and the most important in the development of empathy.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
There are various programs that create digital penpals, which is the closest anyone has tried to UniVersUs. Part of what gives us an edge over these programs is that, though we would need a two teachers with a common language, we would not need students with one. Language learning could easily be integrated with this model, but is not necessary.
Define your company, program, service, or product in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
UniVersUs connects classrooms with games to encourage international empathy.
Identify what is innovative about your solution in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
UniVersUs uses technology and play to form lasting connections between cultures and people without a needing a common language.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThis Entry is about (Issues)
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
Because we have not run a pilot of the game or program, there has not been any impact yet. UniVersUs as a solution means that a one to one connection is made between classrooms and students. It changes the perspective of the players, giving faces to the numbers and unfamiliar names that we see on the news. That relationship does two important things: 1) The specific connections can extend beyond the first UniVersUs game. Classrooms can fundraise together, work to 2) It opens the creative capacity to look at all the classrooms around the world as potential UniVersUs teammates. In other words, the empathy created will extend beyond specifics into a more generally thoughtful view of the world.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
Over the next three years, we would hope to two or three games running in at least twenty partnerships between classrooms. That would mean training about forty teachers, and involving 800 or so students.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Working internationally is always tricky, and that will create some unique challenges.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
A prototype for our program, tested in the classroom.
Task 1
Complete a playable beta for a UniVersUs game.
Task 2
Establish a partnership with a school abroad.
Task 3
Test the game with a classroom connection.
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Task 1
Establish network with schools abroad and at home, trying to create 5 more connections.
Task 2
Refine the first game played using feedback from the beta program.
Task 3
At the end of 12 months, pilot the program in five classrooms in the USA and five in South America.
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world [125 words]
I was playing Candy Land with a young child and noticed that the mechanic was purely simple visuals without text. Learning to play did not require much verbal communication, but we could celebrate together and commiserate. The emotional connection was there.
There are many games that do not require speaking the same language, you just have to play by the same rules. Usually when you cannot express yourself with the same words it is difficult to go beyond a certain level of understanding, but with a game you can interact with a different vocabulary.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
We have two award-winning game designers on board to help create the game itself, which would be the basis for the program. I am an active member of the Gameful (gameful.org) community, and would seek partners within the community and with the administrators. UniVersUs is working to find classrooms that would be interested in beta testing the program.
What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section? [75 words]
In terms of staff, UniVersUs will need a coordinator and a tech troubleshooter to start with. We will need to work with game designers on a commission basis, and with teachers who are willing to try something new.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
We would offer an established link between international communities. There are a number of things that could creatively come out of that.
we prepare our students for citizenship in the global community. We aim to develop their intellectual and cognitive skills as well as physical, social and artistic skills but, we aim also to prepare our students to be responsible citizens, conscious not only of their rights but also of their duties as being part of our "Human Family" and to care of our "Earth Home"
Prepare all pupils through a relevant, challenging curriculum and well-resourced facilities to become lifelong learners contributing to a global community.
Open access to health care training modules from anywhere around the world
Created on 12/11/2011 by ashnab
NAYA JEEVAN is the emerging world's first health plan for the marginalized and committed to sustainable socioeconomic empowerment at the bottom-of-the-pyramid.
Organization: NAYA JEEVAN
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Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
1‐5 years
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
Ashoka Changemakers Making More Health Competition - Early Entry Prize Winner; October 2011
• 2008 NYU Stern Business plan Competition; Winners – Social Entrepreneurship Track ($75,000 1st prize)
• 2009-11 Draper Richards Fellowship ($300,000)
• 2009 TED India Fellowship
• 2009 Clinton Global Initiative Invited Membership
• 2010 Asia 21 Young Leader
• 2010 Robert Wood Johnson TEDMED fellowship
• 2010 Clinton Global Initiative Invited Membership
• 2010 Opportunity Collaboration Cordes Fellowship
• 2010 Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE)
• 2011 Ashoka Fellowship (USA)
• 2011 Ariane de Rothschild Fellowship
• 2011 World Economic Forum/Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur of the Year - Asia
References - Please provide two references with a two-sentence biography, email address, and phone number for each
Mr. Zulfi Jafri- CEO, American Technology International; Entrepreneur/Investor; Former Finance Director GE, zjafri@gmail.com, 203-517-5193
Mr. Saad Amanullah Khan- CEO Gillette Pakistan; Vice-President American Business Council; khan.sa@pg.com; +92-
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Scaling (the next step will be growing impact on a regional or even global scale)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for 1‐5 years
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your innovation addresses? Choose up to two
Access, Quality.
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
In Pakistan and India, at least 800 million earn less than $3 a day. Like other developing nations, South Asian governments spend just 1.7%-3% of GDP on a woefully under-resourced, overwhelmed public health sector. Consequently, 97% of all health care expenditures occur out-of-pocket and ‘catastrophic’ medical expenses (e.g. for heart attacks, pregnancy complications, etc) are a major precipitant of generational poverty.
The three priority issues that low-income, marginalized populations have to contend with are: (i) Access, (ii) Affordability and (iii) Quality.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
An entire ecosystem of multiple hybrid value chains (HVCs) can be structured around multinational corporations that can potentially serve the needs of approximately 660 million lives globally (including 50 million uninsured lives in the US). Both contractors, small businesses and SME employees that are integrated in the supply chains of MNCs can be protected under a national scale health insurance plan catalyzed by the corporate sector that rewards suppliers, distributors, retailers, customers, etc. with affordable access to quality healthcare, co-financed by the corporation as part of a loyalty/incentive program.
A good illustration of the above is our ongoing project with Proctor & Gamble (P&G) where P&G’s distributors are in the process of identifying the top 40,000, high-performing small-retailers across Pakistan. These small retailers and their employees/dependents will all be enrolled in the NAYA JEEVAN health plan as part of a tiered loyalty/incentive program.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
NAYA JEEVAN’s accessible, affordable, quality healthcare plan for underserved communitie has been cascaded by Kansai Paints (a Japanese industrial/residential paint company) to over 200 small business painters who lie at the end of Kansai’s supply chain. Kansai has financed the annual health insurance program costs ($30/life/year) of these painters and their dependents in a tiered loyalty/incentive program in which the corporation has fully subsidized the health insurance plan of their loyal customers. This model can be replicated globally with a varying degree of Corporate co-financing/subsidy which is contingent on: (i) the strategic value of these supply chain partnerships (ii) the cost of the health plan in that specific market and (iii) the impact on their bottom line – i.e increased revenue/sales per dollar invested in this loyalty program
NAYA JEEVAN’s health insurance plan includes:
• Annual medical check-up, which promote the early detection of disease
• A 24-hour telemedicine helpline managed by doctors available to all beneficiaries to handle any concerns or emergencies that may arise.
• A Health Rescue Fund, which assists beneficiaries for uninsurable conditions or when their hospital management/health care exceeds the maximum annual insurance coverage.
• Preventive Health workshops that detail the causes, symptoms, treatments and prevention against most common maladies to allow individuals to be better able to protect themselves and their families. Our workshops include: Healthy Heart – Keep your Heart Happy & Nutrition – How to Eat Right
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
NAYA JEEVAN collaborates with MNCs to cascade our health plan to their 3rd party contract staff, through their corporate supply chains (e.g. retail pharmacies) or to the domestic, household staff of corporate employees.
NAYA JEEVAN's potential competitors include large health insurance companies, but we have strived to pre-empt this competition by positioning ourselves as their customer.
Emerging academic partnerships with research universities allow for the rigorous assessment of both the financial, social and environmental impact of this cross-border initiative. This enables us to prototype novel ideas/approaches in a real-world community setting while developing an evidence-based approach to transforming lives through health.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
The founder and CEO of NAYA JEEVAN is Dr. Asher Hasan, an ASHOKA fellow who strongly believes in the universal right to healthcare.
Raised in the UK where everyone has access to healthcare, Asher was troubled to see the disparity in access to quality health care in Pakistan and India on his frequent trips to the subcontinent as a child. The poor living conditions of the base-of-pyramid (BOP) population coupled with complete lack of sanitation and poor hygiene awareness led to rampant infectious disease and maternal/infant mortality. Given his training as a medical doctor in the US, Asher was exposed to the best and worst aspects of the US healthcare system and felt there must be a better way to finance and deliver quality health care. He resolved to try a new approach to healthcare accessibility and financing for low-income families which would bring about a unique convergence of CSR, social entrepreneurship and institutionalized citizen philanthropy.
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve
By scaling this “health plan for the marginalized”, our organization aspires to help developing countries such as Pakistan make progress towards the UN MDGs by significantly decreasing the rate of preventable maternal and neonatal deaths and infant mortalities/morbidities.
Other business objectives include:
• Poverty alleviation – by reducing the financial impact of catastrophic medical expenses
• Reduction in Maternal/Child Mortality - through timely intervention and 24/7 access to ambulances, medical doctors, ERs, trauma centers, etc.
• Improvement in Primary Health Outcomes - through preventive health education and behavioral change workshops
• Mitigation of Child Labor/Sexual/Physical Abuse - healthy breadwinners will enable
children to
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
NAYA JEEVAN has successfully enrolled nearly 14,000 low-income members from over 100 corporations and SME organizations. Our member profile consists of five sectors: the corporate, academic, NGO, and SME sectors plus the informal domestic household staff sector. Amongst our newest enrollees are approximately 7500 NGO school children, faculty, and staff.
We have already enabled over twenty critical, life-saving interventions and over 1500 urgent medical consultations by mobile phone.
Other indicators of success would be improved health and socioeconomic outcomes in our beneficiary population. These outcomes are being monitored closely over time and will likely take 2-5 years to demonstrate a substantial effect. In the interim, surrogate markers such as decreased incidence of infectious disease and e.g. time from medical helpline call to revascularization in unstable angina patients should be indicative of positive health outcomes.
What is your projected impact over the next five years?
Over the next five years, NAYA JEEVAN plans to replicate its “HMO for the Marginalized” health plan model in neighboring countries including India, and the UAE. There is also a possibility that we may grow by franchising our model or entering into joint ventures in other developing markets such as South Africa, Indonesia, Philippines, etc.
(i) NAYA JEEVAN plans to replicate its health care model in India followed by the UAE. There are large pools of low-income laborers in the UAE who have family members/dependents back in India and Pakistan. These workers can be a a very attractive target market to sponsor the health care of their loved ones.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Barriers to the success of NAYA JEEVAN include a cultural/national mindset of ‘guilty until proven innocent’
Another major barrier is the legacy of a post-colonial, hierarchical, social structure that discriminates against low-income workers – especially informal, household employees such as drivers and maids, etc. Thanks to globalization and the internet, nowadays workers are much more aware of their labor rights and no longer submit to the abuse that was perpetrated on them in the past. Beyond this, NAYA JEEVAN continuously challenges this informal system of ‘socioeconomic apartheid’ between rich and poor as part of its corporate value system.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Enroll 25,000 lives over next 6 months across 125 organizations
Task 1
1. Increase awareness about NAYA JEEVAN around Karachi, from multi-national companies to other NGOs and urban slums
Task 2
2. Run fundraising campaigns to enroll marginalized children of NGO schools into our health plan
Task 3
3. Launch the P&G supply chain initiative with an initial target enrolment of 10,000 lives
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Enrollment of 100,000 lives across 250 organizations
Task 1
• Open regional offices in Lahore and Islamabad
Task 2
• Activate the Pakistani diaspora in US, UK, UAE to enroll their dependents/relatives in our health plan in Pakistan
Task 3
• Increase the amount of doctors on staff to cater to increased number of beneficiaries
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
NAYA JEEVAN partners with major insurance companies such as Allianz-EFU who underwrite our health plan for the marginalized. In addition, NAYA JEEVAN has collaborated with Unilever, GSK, P&G, Pfizer, Deutsche Bank and others in terms of delivering value-enriched services to our low-income beneficiaries. NAYA JEEVAN is also a member of the World Economic Forum/Schwab Foundation, Clinton Global Initiative, TED, the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE), the Ariane de Rothschild Fellowship and Ashoka and seeks to leverage these networks to enhance the social impact it is making.
Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your innovation? If so, where and why?
Our beneficiaries are predominantly from low income marginalized communities (average income less than $5/day), which inhabit urban slums. These communities typically retain archaic social taboos regarding diet and obesity (which is often viewed as a sign of prosperity and not disease), limited access to health care for women, family planning/contraception, and numerous other health related issues. Previous efforts to provide medical care have ranged from mediocre to none with little government assistance, intervention, or representation.
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
NAYA JEEVAN leverages corporate distribution channels which results in a win-win partnership for the beneficiaries, MNCs, supply chains and the overall healthcare ecosystem.
The health insurance industry in Pakistan (and many other developing countries) is still in its nascent stages but growing at a robust 35%-40% per annum. This positive 'halo effect' is conducive to NAYA JEEVAN's rapid growth.
NAYA JEEVAN's internal corporate values are encompassed by the acronym 'RISE ABOVE' which embodies R- Respect, I - Innovation, S -solidarity, E - Entrepreneurial, A - Action-oriented, B - Beneficence, O = Open, V - Vocal and E - Ethical
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
A new program for those in the Montessori Movement who are actively involved, or interested, in working to create more harmonious neighbourhoods, communities, regions, countries, and the world through new forms of collaboration and innovation, both small and large.
Dr Montessori's work can be applied in a wide variety of ways that can benefit the cause of the child beyond the school and the home. . . . in any place, within all social strata, through public or private agencies, in settings rural, urban and remote.
Created on 11/2/2011 by penelope Phillips
I feel that English literacy is the key to science and business
learning and therefore good jobs . It provides an access ,
I realised this as an ESOL and Literacy teacher also in a variety of life situations I have witnessed. I have spent all I have in time money and energy to begin to makethis stuff availiable to beginners in a way that they can largely teach themselves-
The idea came to me reading Friere"Pedagody of the Oppressed"
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideConfirm a user name that will be displayed publicly to identify your entry
Please confirm that this project could benefit First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples
Yes
What categories best describe who your group or organization serves (check all that apply)
First Nations people, Métis people, Inuit people, First Nations, Métis and Inuit people, Other.
What best describes your group or organization
Non-profit organization, Other.
How long have you, your group, or your organization been operating?
Less than a year
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideName Your Project.
stopping hunger via education
Tell us the story of your idea or project
I feel that English literacy is the key to science and business
learning and therefore good jobs . It provides an access ,
I realised this as an ESOL and Literacy teacher also in a variety of life situations I have witnessed. I have spent all I have in time money and energy to begin to makethis stuff availiable to beginners in a way that they can largely teach themselves-
The idea came to me reading Friere"Pedagody of the Oppressed"
I want time allowing,(I am now seventy), to submit these ideas and artifacts everywherebut particularly in the third world,this competition is an arena ;I want also to find funds in the longer run to form a foundation which can shunt money in one direction (via UNICEF and Oxfam) directly to those in need and information
to teachers and students and parents.
Hopefully this information will reach people trying to learn English pronunciation ,reading and the letter formation of the Roman alphabet;I feel what I have to offer will make learning more fun and less arduous than it is now
These methods can adjust to very large groups as well as individuals.The large classrooms of the third world
can easilly use these methods at the outset of English learning and the students in many cases will be less regimented and cramped.
A parent can also use these individually with their child
The Inuit could use these ways of learning English and letter formation to give them more access to English as a key to jobs,science,education,business skills,informationabout the world in general
And English skills may well be needed given the inroads global warming,the petroleum and gas industry etc are making on their way of life
Any person of a lower economic level and the learning will provide money.My contribution would be the gym and parlor games for learning literacy on http://exponentials.webs.com/index.htm
and a number of digital interactive games I have loaded onto megaswf also I hope to illustrate the 2000 words
needed for learning any languge so that these images can bridge the information divide
Define your idea / project in 1-2 short sentences
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThis Entry is about (Issues)
Please tell us about the social impact of your idea or proect
This spells more effective decision making ,job access,and therefore independence for the individual; And for the family and community in which he is located more money from his earnings circulating via his family
even if he moves to take up further opportunity elsewhere.
In an age of globalism and of the internet personal skills that can be gained via English including the understanding of what is going on it is essential for surviving
Empowerment via specifically the learning of English would impact on all aspects of life in the community
specifically on a personal level it gives access to ideas on the internet,and to science,business and acedemic achievement
This spells more effective decision making ,job access,and therefore independence for the individual; And for the family
Your Future Goal(s): Tell us what you hope to achieve with your idea or project in the next year
To expand and help more people by adding full dictionary and lots more games at a higher level
In 5 years, what will be different as a result of your idea/project?
My card games and Gymn exercises I hope will provide more fun with the daunting task of Literacy I hope
my Videos-cf webpage ,You Tube URL Penelopy 76
My interactive stuff and basic words will I hope provide an effecient shortcut in vocab learning
I also hope that within fifteen years the inevitable empowerment of the iIuits economically,politicallyand on a personal effectiveness level willl be beginning to take placein fifteen years it could be well underway
An informed person in what is going to be a world of incessant and frequently dangerous and upsetting change is equipped to make better decisions-Most information is in English.
Networking,entrepreneurship,jobs,acedemic,trades,trade,fishing,mining chances will be increased
the economy boosted
Entrepreneiurship.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about the people/ partnerships that are already involved and why they are important to your idea or project.
Some of the students I studied multi-media with could be useful if I could afford to pay them-more work would get done-I want the people using my stuff to get it free with no obligation to contribute anything even to the charities that I hope to get money to via this site eg UNICEF,OXFAM ,Red Cross and those on the frontline of fighting hungerand displacement and easilly preventable desease .I am hoping one of these will give mea means of shunting money to them more quickly
If there are other people/partners that you will reach out to tell us who they are and why they will be important to your idea or project.
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).I hope to get one of the charities mentioned above to adopt me at least as far as giving me the means of shunting donations-I have my pension and have got myself trained to do most of what is necessary Sydney-University of Technology- Post Graduate Diploma in Interactive Multimedia
finished 3 years ago- did it with theidea of developing this-Couldn't stand preople dying on my TV/ set and the Hunger Site proded me-I am scratching by and if I win will donate my winnings-part of my prize will go back to the Inuits-I have council housing and I am used to living sparcely and leaving as little footprint as possible
Describe the kinds of support you receive (other than money) or will need to support your idea or project (e.g.: donated, space, equipment and volunteers)
A free website-webs-is what I have started with-it is already full
I need
A Space on the web with a domain and the capacity to host Flash interactive Games and quizzes-(I have a lot of these already made-had some on MegaSWF found someone had my programming for sale and had wrecked my site so really need a viable one
Ideally
A Skype link up which would allow me to explain face to face to people how to use stuff and iron out problems for them
Sufficient money to fund a Flash interactive games expert.
Volunteers who could link in with me and get the bonus of at least learning basic Flash Action Script
and Computer graphics
someone who could help me form a non profit organization
Do you currently have funding for your idea or project?
Yes (answer the next two questions)
