Capstone Experiences
SOC 1930/1940: Social Entrepreneurship Capstone
This two-semester capstone experience provides students with hands-on experience in the collaborative process of social entrepreneurship working with community groups in the Providence area. Students are organized into client-mentored teams to work on social entrepreneurship projects. Students synthesize knowledge across disciplines, across theories and practices, and across private and public sector experiences of entrepreneurship. The Social Entrepreneurship Capstone is offered every other year and it is scheduled at the same time period as the entrepreneurship capstone ENGN 1930G/H. The two courses meet jointly for discussions of selected topics and for guest speakers on areas of importance to both types of entrepreneurial activity.
SOC 1930: Social Entrepreneurship Capstone syllabus
A team of four students participated in the first stand-alone Social Entrepreneurship Capstone in 2010.
The purpose of their year-long work was to investigate whether there is support within the nonprofit human-service sector in Rhode Island for a statewide nonprofit association.
In a first stage, the student team researched nonprofit associations in other states, examined a variety of existing models, and investigated the adequacy of models given the local politics around nonprofits in RI. In a second stage, the team designed and launched a web-based survey to gauge the demand for a nonprofit association in the state, evaluated the results, and presented their preliminary conclusions to the nonprofit community. Working with their community mentor, the team’s report will eventually be distributed broadly throughout the RI nonprofit sector.
For more information click here to see the group's final presentation