Social Entrepreneurship Through STEM: Blending Scientific Inquiry with Real-World Product Design

Advance Innovative Education (AIE) and Sweat Equity Education (SEE) began collaborating nearly two years ago, after discovering each other at a conference on 21st century learning. AIE saw in SEE an innovative group of changemakers dedicated to helping underserved students to imagine their futures through technology and product design and became determined to bring SEE’s program to Louisiana students. SEE saw an opportunity to work with a group of education reformers who understand the barriers to providing a quality education for all students in Louisiana and, more importantly, possess strategies and connections to help overcome these obstacles.

SEE brings to the partnership a unique program that was founded by the highly successful fashion designer Marc Ecko. SEE reimagines the intersection of education and entrepreneurship, by giving students real-world projects that inspire them, and igniting their passion for learning and creativity. Students get “a peek under the hood” of how global brands research, develop, produce, and bring to market new products and designs. The work they create is fueled by their curiosity and connects them to industry, illuminating the path from the classroom to the boardroom.

Specifically, SEE brings the technology, curriculum, and business and non-profit design clients to this partnership.

• Technology: The SEE program utilizes a blended learning approach that delivers curriculum-based activities via high-quality online learning tools. This proprietary tool, known as SEEscape, provides a suite of Web 2.0 tools that are easily accessed with any Internet browser. For students, SEEscape provides all the coursework and design software they need for the project, 24/7 access to tutorials and resources, and enables online critiques and feedback from their peers and with mentors from non-profits and Fortune 500 companies that partner with SEE. Students also have the opportunity to build an online portfolio of their design work that can be shared with colleges and future employers and to network in a shared community of participants and alumni throughout the country. For educators, SEEscape provides instructional tools such as curriculum and teaching guides, lesson plans and design resources. For educators and parents, as well as researchers, SEEscape provides a constant feedback loop detailing student progress. Two examples of SEEscape tools are found in “Media.”

• Curriculum: SEE’s interdisciplinary, project-based learning approach integrates concepts from business, design, technology and entrepreneurship with core coursework in literacy, math, and social science knowledge SEE teaches “design thinking” to engage students in core curricular subjects including math and reading, 21st Century skills and others. Their teachers will receive training in the SEE curriculum, program elements and overall approach one semester ahead of each of the four courses. With the end product of original concepts and designs presented to real world clients, SEE participants begin to understand the relevance of school-based learning and make the connection between their education and their future careers.

• Real-World Clients: SEE actively pursues real-world clients that wish to partner with teens to develop a new product, marketing approach, or other design solutions. Previous design clients include Nissan, Radio Shack, Skechers, and Best Buy.

AIE promotes systemic change in education by undertaking reform initiatives that deliver improved teacher and school leader performance, and by developing strong partnerships to increase student success. AIE was founded in 2005 under the name ADVANCE Baton Rouge, as a partnership among the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, the Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce, and 100 Black Men of Metro Baton Rouge. Since then, AIE has expanded its programs and capacity to address gaps in education throughout the state. The Wallace Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Huey & Angelina Wilson Foundation, reputable supporters of educational change agents and AIE’s work, all assert that the key to improving student achievement is human capital.
For more than five years, AIE has delivered innovative education services that generate a meaningful impact on public education. Our core competencies create a strategic advantage that uniquely allows us to effect the change so needed in our state. These are:

• Relationships: AIE brings to the partnership knowledge of the political landscape and relationships with the policy players required to be successful in Louisiana. Our existing relationships in the fields of education and business give us a dual perspective unique to the education arena. Our community relationships are both secure and widely diversified, allowing us to effectively reach the people and organizations essential to changing public education.

• Reputation: Our CEO, Dr. Kristy Hebert, is widely recognized in the educational community and her name alone lend our efforts credibility. Our team includes the expertise of two former Louisiana gubernatorial policy advisors who bring policy knowledge (public housing, economic development, fiscal) and legislative and business connections to enhance our services.

• Credibility: We will leverage the success of our human capital‐building programs (RLRP – see below), which is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. RLRP has received accolades from educators, business experts, and even the USDOE.

More than three years ago, AIE rallied to answer the call of Louisiana’s State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek, when he called for state leaders to grow educational organizations with the capacity to assist school districts that are failing our students academically and socially. In turn, AIE developed reputable programs to train and replace the individuals who could not or would not return to Louisiana following the destruction of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. AIE’s alternative pathway to principal certification, Redesigning Lessons, Re-envisioning Principals™ was awarded funding through a highly competitive process conducted by the U.S. Department of Education. While our work began in South Louisiana, districts throughout the state have begun to recognize that we are a local organization with national credentials. Our accolades and results have earned us the trust of school districts needing assistance with a catastrophe of a different kind – the lack progress towards student achievement - but with as much potential destroying their communities.

• Unrivalled Knowledge & Expertise: The AIE team brings extensive education expertise from all levels (previous superintendents, principals, teachers, and higher education), as well as skills in school design, school management, school personnel supervision and assessment, and community outreach. Additionally, the staff possesses competencies in business consulting, grant writing, project planning, developing and delivering curricula, delivering consulting services, and program evaluation.

The participating school will be selected from AIE’s existing, statewide partners in charter schools and school districts. Several school districts and schools have agreed to work with us in implementing the SEE program this year. AIE will work closely with SEE and the school partner to manage the implementation of the program, and deliver the training to the teachers each semester. The role of the school partner will be to integrate the program into its school day and to participate in any assessments (detailed below) that will used to determine student progress, attainment of project goals, etc.

Our objectives and desired outcomes for this project are as follows:
1. Students are engaged and motivated in school, as evidenced by:
• Continuation from 10th – 11th grade. (Project runs during 10th and 11th grade.)
• On-time graduation from high school.
• Attendance increases from term to term.
• Increased standardized test scores (Graduate Exit Exam)

2. Students are college and career-ready learners, as evidenced by:
• Applications to college or community/technical college
• Matriculation to college or community/technical college
• Above-average score on the ACT (college entrance exam in Louisiana)

3. Students acquire 21st century skills, as evidenced by:
• Above-average scores on the ETS iSkills assessment
• Completion of design projects

In order to ensure achievement of these objectives, AIE is embedding shared accountability for student achievement in this project among the partners. We have developed both a logic model and a Gantt chart to bring together planning, activities, and evaluation, thereby ensuring that the project remains true to achieving its stated objectives and outcomes. In the logic model, our desired outcomes, both short- and long-term, are clearly articulated and are to be achieved through a set of inputs, assets, and activities that are aligned to realize our STEM learning outcomes. The explicit strategy for realizing these goals is detailed in the objectives; each activity is clearly defined around measurable means, including comparison of academic, attitudinal and behavioral outcomes as well as pre- and post-testing on targeted skills sets with a standardized measure. Interim measures and on-site observations by an evaluator will help ensure the fidelity of the implementation. As a management tool, the project will adhere to the steps detailed in our timeline and Gantt chart to ensure both the fidelity of the implementation and that the objectives and outcomes are achieved.

Investment: While the cost of the program is reasonable, we must lower this potential barrier to entry so that more students can benefit.

Marketing/Media: The partners would benefit from a national marketing campaign to gain the attention of socially-conscious businesses and non-profits that would collaborate with us on student projects, tell our story to potential funders, and communicate our results.

Research/Information: As noted previously, we are applying for federal funds to conduct an efficacy study on the SEE program. We would welcome any additional assistance in conducting studies.

Mentorship: In line with Ashoka’s “long term, part time” approach to involving STEM professionals in student learning, we are seeking business, non-profit, and design mentors for our students.

Innovation/Ideas: We are collectively a very creative group with more ideas than we can possibly implement in a lifetime. We would enjoy getting in a room with like-minded social entrepreneurs to brainstorm ideas and plan their implementation.

Mentorship: Our staff consists of C-level executives, non-profit leaders, MPAs and MBAs, PhDs, former and current educators, policymakers, grant writers and fundraisers, school deslgners, art educators, and project managers. We would be happy to help nascent organizations develop by offering mentoring services in the areas of: non-profit start-up, business start up, grant writing, innovative school design, educator professional development, and start up of entrepreneurial educational leadership programs.