on January 31, 2018 in Best Practices, Exchange, Innovation Award, Social Innovation.
The Innovation Award is Ashoka U’s top honor for premiere higher education programs in social innovation education. It recognizes high impact and highly replicable education innovations, including pioneering teaching models, co-curricular programming, community partnerships, and research.
Each initiative goes beyond what is traditionally possible in higher education and creates new ways colleges and universities can be a force for positive social impact. Since 2011, Ashoka U has honored awardees during the Exchange.
This year the evaluation committee has selected 18 semi-finalists from more than 150 Best Practice applications. Semi-finalists were selected based on the level of innovation, impact, scalability, and replication potential of their initiative. See the full criteria here.
The Awardees will be selected by the following judges:
- Ambra Hiott, University of South Carolina; Previous Award winner
- Christina Willemsen, Hamilton College; Changemaker Campus Change Leader
- Kendal K. Whitlock, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc
- Rebecca A. Corbin, Ed.D. National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship
- Sebastian Salinas Claro, Founder of Balloon Latam and Ashoka Fellow
- Simon Stumpf, Ashoka US
The winners will be announced at the 9th annual Exchange, co-hosted by Babson College in Boston, on April 5-7, 2018.
Interested in learning more about these outstanding initiatives? Many of these semi-finalists will be presenting their model at the Exchange. We’ve linked their sessions so you’ll know where to find them!
2018 Innovation Award Semi-Finalists
Category: ADMISSIONS
“Mission-Driven Admissions”
A new admissions policy centered on the evaluation of changemaker traits.
Hampshire College
Exchange Session (Community Lunch): Rewarding Change: how can systems like admissions, honors, tenure, and rankings be reimagined to encourage rather than inhibit innovation?”
Category: CO-CURRICULAR
“EdGE (Education through Global Engagement)”
Robust and affordable platform for ethical and educational global engagement
Omprakash
Exchange Session: Going Beyond Big Idea Talk: “Why ‘Doing Good’ is Never Enough: Reimagining Social Impact as Raising Consciousness”
“Fordham Social Innovation Collaboratory”
An “open door, open mind” approach that levels the playing field: Faculty learn from students, students learn from company/nonprofit partners, and alumni and partners learn from and/or mentor everyone involved.
Fordham University
Exchange Session: Breaking Down Silos & Hierarchy
“Global Social Innovation Challenge”
A social venture pitch competition that recognizes, resources, and rewards student-led social ventures focused on sustainable change.
Center for Peace and Commerce, University of San Diego
Exchange Session: Not Your Average Competition
Category: CURRICULUM
A unique approach to changing the core curriculum to be social-impact focused at the Gabelli School of Business
Fordham University
Exchange Session: Breaking barriers, building impact: Rocket Social Innovation & Changemaking Across Disciplines
“Design Thinking Studio in Social Innovation”
A fully immersive and experiential program that uses design thinking to develop real-world skills
Elon University
“dLab Program created and managed by iCubo UDD”
Interdisciplinary innovation program where students from 5 faculties; Architecture, Design, Civil Engineering, Business and Advertising, develop real solutions which create deep social impact.
Universidad del Desarrollo
“For the Common Good: Embedding the Common Good Curriculum”
A model to support, recognize and embed the Common Good within the curriculum and wider student experience.
Glasgow Caledonian University
Exchange Session: Developing, Utilizing, & Sharing Learning Outcomes
“I- Semester”
A challenge linked to a social problem where students and teachers apply professional and personal competencies to provide solutions.
Tecnológico de Monterrey
Exchange Session: Maximizing Student Engagement: Best Practices & Lessons Learned
“Leveraging The Internet of Things (IOT) for Good: Co-designing With Inter-Disciplinary & Cross-Sector Teams”
Providing resources, seed funds, and support to interdisciplinary teams to use the IoT (Internet of Things) to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Babson College
Exchange Session: Industries Big Idea Talk: “Leveraging the Internet of Things (IOT) for Good: Co-Designing with Inter-Disciplinary & Cross-Sector Teams”
“Social Entrepreneurship Major”
An interdisciplinary, project-based major that integrates entrepreneurial thinking and action.
Rollins College
Exchange Session: How to Build a Curriculum for Social Entrepreneurship
“The COGS Toolkit (Changemaker Outcomes for Graduate Success)”
The COGS Toolkit guarantees every student’s entitlement to engage with our ‘Everyone a Changemaker’ initiative within their studies.
University of Northampton
Exchange Session: Developing, Utilizing, & Sharing Learning Outcomes
“Taylor Your Life”
A career development program for students to TAYLOR their life by applying methods and mindsets of design thinking (human-centered design) to career development.
Tulane University, Taylor Center for Social Innovation and Design Thinking
Exchange Session: Teaching Changemaker Career Paths
Category: COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
“Cafe Cocano Fair-Trade Coffee Partnership”
A mutually beneficial initiative that leverages university research and teaching, in a variety of disciplines, into long-term, Haitian-led, sustainable coffee development in Haiti’s poorest region.
St. Thomas University
Exchange Session: Designing and Sustaining Global Collaborations
“Honey Bee Initiative”
Through thriving international programs, innovative educational programming, and dynamic public-private partnerships, the Honey Bee Initiative aims to make a lasting and meaningful impact on the campus, community, and beyond.
George Mason University
“SPARK Community Based Innovation Challenge”
Offering local organizations and students the opportunity to work together to address challenges faced by the larger Grinnell community.
Grinnell College
Exchange Session: Centering Community-based Partnerships in Social Innovation Education
Category: GRADUATE PROGRAM
“Doctor of Social Sciences Program”
Approaching the study of complex, real-world problems within an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary framework.
Royal Roads University
Exchange Session: How to Build a Curriculum for Social Entrepreneurship
Category: RESEARCH
“Sustainability Research Effectiveness: Enacting Change through Research”
Improving the contributions that research makes to social change processes.
Royal Roads University
Exchange Session: Forging Multi-Sector Collaboration for Interdisciplinary Research