Focusing on the African continent, this seminar class will use a case-based approach to promote active class participation. We will discuss and explore the many financial, political and cultural challenges faced by socially motivated organizations, their sponsors and collaborators. In addition, students will be required form and work in small teams with one of several host organizations on the Continent. Introductory work with the host organization will begin in January and students will be expected to spend 8 weeks of their summer between terms completing field research with the organizations they choose. Funding for these trips will be provided by grants from the MacMillan Center and from other travel grants regularly available to Yale students.
Approximate Schedule for Students
Part 1 (January – April)
Structured as a case-based seminar, selected sophomores at Yale College will meet weekly as a class to discuss and explore the many commercial opportunities and challenges faced by socially entrepreneurial organizations and their sponsors in each of their unique circumstances.
Part 2 (6-8 weeks - Summer)
Student team members will travel in their individual groups (3 students per group) to a selected research “host” which is directly involved in the promotion and development of businesses whose mission prioritizes social benefit along with financial sustainability.
Part 3 (August - December)
Students will use class time to “deconstruct” their summer experience and contrast this to their earlier readings and pre-summer expectations and complete their research. In addition, students will develop three documents for grading:
- A completed research/data analysis paper which meets the deliverables established by host organization/student teams established in the first term.
- a “case study” featuring the specific aspect or challenge addressed for the host organization,
- a “teaching note” to accompany the case detailing the importance of the case in relationship to learnings from the first term of class and the broader field of mission-driven enterprises