Asynchronous 2

Asynchronous Module #2: Planning Social Entrepreneurship Projects - Participants will engage in planning and executing the operational aspects of social entrepreneurship projects in their school or district. One project will be aquaponics-based the other will be related to another area of choice. This module will contain guidelines and resources to assist the participants with planning their social entrepreneurship projects and reflection and measurement activities.

OPENING/OVERVIEW

This module is an extension of the previous activities and discussions that will take place in your classrooms.

STRUCTURE SUGGESTION FOR YOUR CLASSROOM: Traditionally, we have 10-12 teams of 3-4 students working toward different ideas. The overview, ideation/design thinking and Business Model Canvas exercises, at a much deeper dive, take-up the first 5 weeks of the 15- week semester. The customer discovery of targeted market segments takes up the next 8 weeks. (NOTE: We also perform competitive and industry analyses during that time frame but those should not be used in your projects.) The last 2 weeks focus on putting together and practicing their pitches before a panel of judges. Each team has a 10- minute pitch and each student pitches for about 2-3 minutes with power points. I use an oral presentation rubric for individual presentation grades. Most of the other grades are team graded. Judges have a scorecard for competitive ranking. We have a mandatory peer review survey which can affect final grades due to slacking, missing deadlines and team dysfunction.

PROJECT PLANNING

• STEP 1: As a team, review your ideation and thinking process (Business Model Canvas exercise in Asynchronous 1)

• STEP 2: Determine if you are going to create an aquaponics project or a non-aquaponics project.

  • • AQUAPONICS PROJECT: The goal with aquaponics is to get each team to develop their best idea for what to do with the harvests of fish and greens. Perhaps they decide to sell to farmers’ markets or restaurants to raise money for homeless children’s clothing. Perhaps they decide to give food to homeless shelters, neighbors in need, church outreach, etc. with no money exchanged (must address the cost issue). Perhaps all the food goes to the cafeteria and they prepare a video for peers on how to farm with aquaponics or how the learn math or bio with sensor data. Lots of options!

    • NON-AQUAPONICS PROJECT: The goal here is to let students ideate about those social issues they feel strongly about as set forth in Module #1. This type of social entrepreneurship project is better-suited for multiple team projects in one class. Also, students seem more passionate in this mode so you will notice the need for more iteration after customer discovery to ensure they don’t intend to boil the ocean which can send them down a rabbit hole.

• STEP 3: Create a detailed lesson plan as a team with timetables for each activity and grading plan for feedback

  • • Discuss cost issues and operational use of the aquaponics equipment

    • Discuss how harvest will be shared at your school and other administrative and scheduling issues

    • List all potential roadblocks, challenges, and institutional issues with potential solutions.

TEAM CHALLENGE

Submit your Aquaponics or Non-Aquaponic Plans here!

CLOSING

Create a HEADLINE for your team's project. Think about something that would catch your attention on a local newsletter, facebook post, etc...

Add your headline to our Google Form. We will share the headline LIVE on Thursday!