Twenty-sixth International Conference on Learning

Abstract

What is your vision for changing the world? How can we facilitate our students to become students of culture, who recognize and respond to social and cultural diversities? By becoming students of culture, students can contextualize differences and gain a more in-depth understanding of social injustices and become change agents. My students, in Social Entrepreneurship, create a strategic action plan for change to solve social problems by choosing one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, (i.e., no poverty, gender equality, inclusive education, and zero hunger) and create an innovative product or service that meets the needs of the community. Through lectures, watching documentaries, current events, assigned readings, and in-class discussions and debates students explore and reflect on social problems. My students then create strategic action plans for change to solve various social problems or to contribute something new that will transform lives. Their plans begin with the creation of an inspiring and compelling vision for the future. By becoming students of culture and contextualizing social problems, my students have created socially innovative ideas such as an app that connects a population of children, in Mexico City, who fall into a lower socio-economic class and do not have access to quality education, with privileged students who want to share their knowledge with those less fortunate. Another group created a plan for a food truck that would deliver fresh, affordable, organic produce to disadvantaged communities and provide education on healthy eating and nutrition.