The 2013 Changemaker Summer Fellows program supports students wanting to explore changemaking opportunities by providing financial support and mentoring. This initiative promotes students’ understanding of social issues and social justice as they actively participate in a community-based or social enterprise experience, locally or abroad. The program offers $2,000 for students to develop their skills in framing social issues and creating innovative approaches to addressing them. Learn more about the program here
What does a President of a university in Ghana have in common with a Provost and a student from the University of San Diego? At the inaugural panel of the 2013 Ashoka U Exchange hosted by the University of San Diego, the three of them shared similar passion for the idea that social change is a collective interest. Further united by new technologies and fresh thinking we can innovate more to solve complex social problems and create a better world. The urgency in the air called for individuals believing in their changemaking potential, reminding us that young people are not the future, they are the present. From different points of view, the university, whether in Accra or in San Diego, continues to be a powerful space for exploring, learning, and connecting for social change. It is a place for unlocking the u in the universe.
“See beneath the surface of autism to discover children who will learn to connect with the world” is Casey Hoffman’s quote to present the purpose of See Beneath, a social enterprise that helped him become a winner in the Center for Peace and Commerce’s 2012 Social Innovation Challenge. What this Changemaker, a graduate of the Master’s of Science in Global Leadership program, and a team of founders have to offer is very unique: Aiko & Egor, an animation series designed especially for children with autism. The series uses cutting-edge research for motivating children with autism to learn skills while enjoying the stories. In the episodes of Aiko & Egor, appropriate language and exaggerated social interactions and gestures are central to engage the child. Each episode is created with heart and commitment, as the founders have spent thousands of hours working with children at risk for autism under the age of three.
While a student, Travis Bays ’04 was inspired by the international opportunities available, from a diverse student population to numerous study abroad programs. The passion he developed for other cultures led him to join the Peace Corps in Costa Rica, where he began his journey as a Changemaker committed to sustainable development. In 2010, he and three friends founded the Bodhi Surf School to teach surfing while educating participants on marine conservation and sustainability in the region. The surf school encourages collaborations for greater social impact and engages local communities through programs such as Siempre Unidos para Reforzar nuestro Futuro (SURF) to empower at-risk youth. Bays is partnering on the launch of a new social venture, GEOPORTER, which offers geospatial technology to assist local communities in building the capacity for a tourism economy that can maintain its own sustainable growth.
When Jacquelyn Hunter ’06 traveled to Belize as a Peace Corps volunteer, she had no clear idea how her studies in international business would be central to helping low-income women who were victims of domestic violence to become successful entrepreneurs. It all began with a six-month training program on entrepreneurship for women, allowing Hunter to see the difference that financial stability and self-esteem could have on their lives. With this insight, she aimed to become a matchmaker between social enterprises and impact investors. Hunter obtained an MBA and continued to gain experience. In 2011, this Changemaker launched MachuMama, a social enterprise that develops and exports artisan products from Ayacucho, Peru. She is a co-founder of B Revolution, a benefit corporation consulting firm providing startup and transitioning entity solutions for entrepreneurs. She has helped plan, finance and grow over 500 enterprises.
Teresa Smith, a graduate student in the School of Leadership and Education Sciences’ Nonprofit Leadership and Management program, is CEO of the nonprofit Dreams for Change. Focused on a variety of ideas to help the city’s homeless, Dreams for Change’s mobile “The Fresh” food truck services its customers with items that are prepared with healthy ingredients, inexpensive through the use of Cal-Fresh benefits/EBT cards. Smith’s dream received a major boost when she won a top prize of $10,000 in USD’s second annual Social Innovation Challenge in April. The money, she said, helped cover the costs associated with purchasing the truck, supplies and more so she could launch the idea this summer. The application deadline for the 2013 Social Innovation Challenge is Feb. 18. All USD students are eligible to apply to win an award of up to $50,000 to put their social innovation idea into action.
