Main Goal

Promoting social entrepreneurship among vocational training schools while developing some entrepreneurial skills as teamwork, empathy, communication, stress management and communication.

Organisation

Duration around 10 hours. Groups up to 10 students.

Resources

Some background about social issues and office tools to develop the whole process.

Outcome

A problem turned into an opportunity business which solves a social issue.

Applicability

It could be included as a part of the process of becoming a proper entrepreneur and improving the knowledge about social issues.

Next?

Turning the idea into a real business following the prototype.

Introduction

According to the European Commision “social entrepreneur is an operator in the social economy whose main objective is to have a social impact rather than make a profit for their owners or shareholders. It operates by providing goods and services for the market in an entrepreneurial and innovative fashion and uses its profits primarily to achieve social objectives. It is managed in an open and responsible manner and, in particular, involves employees, consumers and stakeholders affected by its commercial activities.”

A social enterprise is not a NGO. It is a business that contributes to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The social entrepreneur has to develop entrepreneurial skills and will have to face the difficulties of running a company.

The European Comision strongly supports social entrepreneurship.

The students will have to generate a business idea of social entrepreneurship solving a social problem in their near environment.

First step. Identify social problems: they will have to define real and specific problems in their near environment (in their country, town or neighborhood).

In order to help them to find tangible problems we will give them a list with the 17 sustainable development goals of UN to change the world.

They will do a brainstorming with the problems they can find in their near surrounding related to one or several of the 17 sustainable development goals.

After that they will have to choose one of them. The problem have to be very specific and tangible.

Second step. Turn the problem into a challenge: They will have to choose one specific problem and turn it into a small challenge: How could we solve the problem of …?

The aim is not to solve the big problem, for example the world hunger. The aim is to solve a small challenge, for example: how to feed poor children of my neighborhood. Or even more specific: how to get the breakfast for poor children of my neighborhood.

Third step. From challenge to opportunity: The groups of students will have to answer the question of the challenge with several solutions, as much as possible. Teachers will encourage them to be creative.

They will have to choose one solution taking into account the following points:

The number of people that have the problem and could be benefit from the solution.

The time they would need to set the project in motion.

The easy access to information.

The possibility of construction of a prototype.

The solution they choose will be a good or service and it is the first business opportunity.

Fourth step. Rapid prototyping: Once they have choose one solution they will have to build a rapid prototype in order to be able to show the good or service as the solution of the problem.

Rapid prototyping can be a 3D printing, a video, a drawing, a demo…

Prototypes are very important to communicate the idea. With the prototype is much easier to understand clearly and effectively what is what they are proposing.

Fifth step. Communication – elevator pitch (1 hour and a half or 2 hours, depending on the groups of students): The students will have to communicate their ideas. They will prepare an elevator pitch (1 hour of preparation) and 2 minutes of elevator pitch showing the prototype. They will receive feed-back from their fellow schoolmates

Evaluation

The teacher will assess the elevator pitch with a rubric.

 

Poor (less than 5) Fair (5-6) Good (7-8) Great (9-10)
Intro-Goals You have forgotten to introduce the team and the goals are no clear. I haven’t been hooked. You have introduce yourselves and made an intro with no creativity or hook. The goals have been said clearly but with a lack of interest. You have said a memorable sentence to introduce yourself and your goals in a creative and interesting way. Honest and creative introduction of the team and the goals. I’m hooked. I want to know more about your project.
Problems and solution description You have not mention why your goals matter to anyone but you. There is no evidence that your goals are realistic. Your idea is non-viable. The problem is not enough important to part of the audience. It is questionable your idea can be viable. The problem is clearly explained and important to most part of the audience. You have showed evidence of the solution, but not proved that your project is better than others. The problem is clearly explained and important to most part of the audience. You have showed evidence of the solution and there is no other person or company that solves the same problem better.
Closing and invitation You finished your speech and you did not offer me to ask for anything You asked me for a business card but you were not very persuasive. You gave me your card and invited me to continue. You showed you were interested in my counsel.

 

 You offered me your card (the best way to get mine). You invited me to continue our conversation and I agreed because your speech aroused my curiosity about your project.
Timing Goes 30 seconds over or under time limit Goes 20 seconds over or under time limit Goes 10 seconds over or under time limit Within time limit
Presentation style Presentation shows no evidence of preparation. No visual aids. Presentation denotes minimal preparation. Visual aids lacks effectiveness with vocabulary or spelling mistakes. There Presentation indicates an adequate preparation. Visual aids are consistent and in line with the speech. Presentation indicates a detailed preparation. The use of visual aids is outstanding. They are high quality, relevant and easy to read.