Curriculum

While social entrepreneurs engage in entrepreneurial activities similar to any entrepreneur, they do so in a very different context. Whereas traditional entrepreneurs operate within the boundaries of the commercial sector and interact with actors who share relatively similar views of the world, social entrepreneurs, to achieve their mission and sustain their innovations, rely on a complex web of stakeholders who belong to distinct institutional spheres. On the one hand, social entrepreneurs rely on the support of the social sector: they rely on grassroots organizations to reach out to their beneficiaries; they collaborate with social organizations to coordinate social services; they rely on local social actors to provide strategic resources such as legitimacy, volunteer work, or social expertise. On the other hand, in mobilizing funds and practices from the business sector, social entrepreneurs are embedded in the commercial world. They adopt commercial practices, develop business relationships with commercial entities, and build partnerships with industrial partners. Finally, in most countries, social entrepreneurs also directly interact with governments and public agencies accountable for the welfare of citizens, in order to negotiate political or financial support or to influence changes in policies and regulations.

Keeping in mind this tri-sector engagement in social entrepreneurial activities, encompassing the social, commercial, and public spheres, Wheaton’s liberal arts curriculum provides the ideal base for developing future social entrepreneurs and innovators who are not only broadly educated, but who also understand the diverse set of connections between disciplines.