Service-Learning and Social Enterprise: What's the Connection?

Last week I had the privilege of attending the Canadian Conference on Social Enterprise, in part to investigate another aspect of social engagement and the potential connection to service-learning.  Given the importance of work-integrated learning (Sattler, 2011) and the focus on entrepreneurial skills (Chiose, 2014) and our mandate that students “contribute to the communities they serve” (Humber College, n.d.) investigating social enterprise seemed like a good fit.  Not to mention some institutions in Canada are beginning to make the connection, usually alongside an academic department. 

“Telling our Story”

Within the first five minutes of the introduction, David LePage (known by many of the participants as the Canadian 'guru' on social enterprise) threw out the following concepts:  making meaningful contributions, creating social change, generating economic and social wealth, building communities, creating employment opportunities, business models, SROI (social return on investments), etc...  Clearly, there was much to learn.  

The conference theme was “Telling our Story”.  Each keynote speaker was a leader in a recognized, national social enterprise, tasked with describing how their social venture came to be.   One such speaker was Janice Abbott, CEO of Atira Development Society.  Janice described how she was hired as a director for the Atira women's shelter in BC, and over time not only developed several social enterprises, such as Enterprising Women Making Art, and a multimillion dollar property management venture, Atira Property Management Inc., but she also went on to develop an award-winning, Recycled Shipping Container Housing Development  project in BC. Some of her wisdom and advice is reflected in the themes I highlight in the next section.

Social Enterprise: Best Practice

Throughout the conference I picked up on five themes that were woven throughout each presentation:

1. Stick to your mission. Keeping to your mission helps organizations stay focused on their goals and serving their constituents.  This may even mean turning down much needed funding.  However, losing sight of your mission can create costly mistakes and shake the foundation of your mission.

2. Take risks and embrace failure.  Often individuals working for NGO’s are risk-averse for many reasons.  Experts suggest you have to be more entrepreneurial and and think of yourself as a business for the community.  Also small projects are wonderful, but sometimes you need to go big!

3. Think sustainable. This is at the core of social enterprise.  The theme of sustainability begins with businesses that are self-sustaining (profits are put back into the community) businesses that support environmental sustainability.

4. Build partnerships and cross-collaborate.  Both funding bodies and experts recommend building partnerships and collaborating with other NGO's, businesses, governments and / or academic institutions.  As well, don’t always rely on the same partners, take relational risk with people unlike yourself (Branzei, 2015)

5. Pay for talent.  Sometimes in order to be successful, a social enterprise must be willing to hire individuals who are experts in their fields in order to grow and develop a business.

So how does this fit with Service Learning?

Social enterprise is “an ongoing organization or venture created with the primary goal of achieving a social mission that uses a business model or earned income strategies in its operation” (Wade, 2015). 

Given the definition, I think the role academia can play is to prepare students for social ventures by providing content knowledge (concepts and theories), experience working in or with community agencies, and by providing business know-how (entrepreneurial skills).  Service-learning specifically, can act as one avenue for students to make community connections and spark an interest in community work.  Secondly, service-learning along with community outreach departments can provide valuable community contacts that could lead to fruitful partnerships. 

Like social enterprise, service-learning values social justice and sustainability.  Each sees a need to help communities develop over time and provide a means for individuals to develop self-efficacy.  Attending the 2015 CCSE conference was an eye-opening experience as it helped me to understand the depth and breadth of community programs, and the great potential when diverse organizations come together with the goal of making change.

For more information on the work already underway at Humber visit:

1. HumberLaunch 

2. Humber’s CE certificate in Social-Entrepreneurship 

(Let me know if I you would like me to add more resources!)

References

Branzei, O. (2015, 04 24). Community meets academia: collaboration through cross-sector partnership. Canadian Conference on Social Enterprise. London, ON.

Chiose, S. (2014, 10 10). Is university the place o learn to be an entrepreneur? The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 04 28, 2015, from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/is-university-the-place-to-learn-to-be-an-entrepreneur/article21068360/

Sattler, P. (2011). Work-integrated learning in Ontario's postsecondary sector. Toronto: Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario.

Wade, J. (2015, 04 23). Introduction to social enterprise: The forms and functions of the business. Canadian Conference on Social Enterprise. London, ON.