eAcademy for Conscious Change
- Citizen sector
- Education
- Girls' development
- Sustainable development
- Technology
- Women's issues
- Social enterprise
Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.
Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?
Founding Story
Gretchen
Wallace
Global Grassroots
, NH, Hanover, Grafton County
, XX, This project is actually global
More than 5 years
Our model for grassroots, women-led social change was chosen a semi-finalist for the Kyoto World Water Prize in 2009. As founder, I have received other awards individually, including: Emmy nomination for Best Documentary as producer of "The Devil Came on Horseback" (2008). World Business Magazine and Shell's top International 35 Women Under 35 (2007). CNN Hero in Haiti, for trauma healing work in Haiti after the earthquake (2010). The inaugural Susan J. Herman Award for Leadership in Holocaust and Genocide Awareness by the Cohen Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Keene State College (2010). One of seven Remarkable Women of the World by New Hampshire Magazine (2011).
Operating for more than 5 years
Access to technology, Access to education/training, Access to economic opportunity.
Since 2006, GG has led our Academy for Conscious Change in Rwanda, an 18-month hands-on social venture incubator to help marginalized women launch their own micro-NGOs. One of our ventures in rural Rwanda is a team of 19 women, only 7 of whom are literate. Their issue was women who were being forced to trade sex for water delivery because they were blind, pregnant, disabled or too weak to collect it themselves from a valley 3 miles downhill. The team built a clean water venture to serve 100 households, ensuring free water for vulnerable women. After 4 years, they have expanded to 3 new sites and now serve an estimated 6000 people, sustainably. To date, our 300 graduates are operating 21 organizations. This year we will expand to Northern Uganda, train 85 women and girls and launch another 5-15 ventures. In the last 3 years, we have received requests from 200 women’s groups in 45 countries seeking to participate in our programs. The eAcademy is our solution to serving this demand.
We are now piloting the program with 10 teams in 10 countries. After launching the eAcademy publically this fall, our goal is to build a user base of 75 teams across 45 countries in year 1. Given our work in Rwanda, we anticipate each venture initiated will benefit an average 500-1000 others, collectively impacting between 37,500 –75,000 women and girls. In year 2, we will aim to expand the user base to 200 groups and focus on building partnerships for support services and improved accessibility and new languages. We will also populate our idea bank so that we can mine for data, track best practices and monitor social idea spread. In year 3 we will aim to double our user base through marketing efforts and word of mouth to 500 users, with ventures serving at least 250,000 women and girls.
In 6 months after public launch, we will have 35 user groups utilizing the eAcademy; 50% will have completed their venture plan
Complete pilot program with 10 users, fix bugs and and integrate recommendations from user feedback.
Initiate social media campaign and 2 marketing partnerships to attract grassroots user teams through local & global networks.
Establish funding mechanism and volunteer technical support to incentivize and facilitate user experience.
In 12 months after public launch, we will have 75 user groups, and 50 will have completed their plans for implementation.
Forge 1-2 sponsor partners who will offer seed funding awards to attract new user groups in certain issue areas.
Build partnerships with 2-3 NGOs who can extend the eAcademy to their beneficiaries and provide onsite support.
Train 25 university student facilitators to provide volunteer technical assistance online and through site visits.
We have a pilot partnership with Dartmouth College and 85Broads’ network of professional women, who will provide sponsorship/mentorship to university volunteers who will be trained to provide technical assistance. We will market our program in partnership with WorldPusle, an online hub of women citizen journalists in 179 countries, and through the Half the Sky Movement. We will seek partnership with the Global Fund for Women for grant funding, and explore GlobalGiving as our donor portal. Finally, we are approaching the Peace Corps and NGOs who can extend the eAcademy to their beneficiaries.
We seek investors and technology specialists to help pioneer the next phase of innovation in hardware and accessibility improvements to allow us to reach more disadvantaged change agents. We also need partners to help us extend our tools globally. Finally, we are happy to provide technical assistance and new solutions from our change agents to int’l and grassroots groups serving women and girls.