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Can Entrepreneurship & Social Enterprise be taught ?If so how best ?
Entrepreneurship is not just something that we are born with - it is something that we can learn and be inspired towards. It is imperative that every education system puts a lot more emphasis on developing en enterprise / entrepreneur culture at the earliest possible time in children's education. Most educational systems do not recognize the vital and primary importance of teaching entrepreneurship. I would really like to hear what other Fellows think about this - and introduce some of my thoughts and experiences on the subject too.
From experience I am convinced that children, once given a personal and positive enterprise or entrepreneurial experience, can be inspired to have the self confidence, organisational and communication skills. They can literally learn how to set up and run their own enterprises. Teaching entrepreneurial skills to kids early in their lives can really break down that barrier and demystify the process.
We really need to bring Social Enterprise education into primary and secondary schools. It should be an essential part of the curriculum right up to an including University level.
Unfortunately the reality is that the powers that be with that responsibility do not yet seem to give any real level of importance to young peoples entrepreneurial development. It seems that children are taught to aspire to want “to get a job” not “create their own enterprise” especially in undeserved schools or communities.
The lack of resources and curriculum's that are devised do not properly support entrepreneurial development and skills for life development.
I founded Blastbeat, it has developed three social enterprise programme for schools ( www.blastbeat.org). It works at primary, secondary and at University level. I am looking to share Blastbeat with any school, college or youth group that is looking for a way to engage young people in social enterprise in a fun way.
Blastbeat is a fun & exciting Music & Multimedia Business / social enterprise progamme offered to teens and schools around the world. With Blastbeat, students organize themselves into Music & Multimedia Companies (MMCs) to compete in the business programme, planning, promoting and hosting a live music event. Students participating choose the 14 roles necessary to compete as a creative entrepreneurial team in this exciting music business challenge, planning, promoting and hosting a live music event, battle of the bands etc.
Within the Blastbeat programme there are two competitions in one that help encourage a true sense of real life, exciting social entrepreneurship and creative skills.
A) the social enterprise competition - winners receive mentor-ship and investment to continue to stage all ages music events for their peers.
B) the music competition for competing artists – winners get managed,recorded and prepared for a real career in Music if they really want it.
Students give a minimum of 25% of their profits to charity that way they get the experienced of what it is like to work as a social entrepreneur.
Blastbeat leverages young people’s passion for music, multimedia, social media, making and sharing friends and money as they have fun learning and experiencing first hand business, technical, inter / intra-personal, team-work, communication, music, social, media & related skills.
Blastbeat also promotes and encourages young original songwriters & musicians, supporting youth communities on a local & global level, empowering teens to create social enterprises creating community and social capital to help bring about change for the good of society.
Blastbeat is championing a way of rolling the programme out to companies across the UK, by engaging companies to partner or adopt local schools and teach company volunteer as mentors and cover the costs of running the programme each year. Please message me of Email me for further details robert@blastbeat.org
From experience I am convinced that children, once given a personal and positive enterprise or entrepreneurial experience, can be inspired to have the self confidence, organisational and communication skills. They can literally learn how to set up and run their own enterprises. Teaching entrepreneurial skills to kids early in their lives can really break down that barrier and demystify the process.
We really need to bring Social Enterprise education into primary and secondary schools. It should be an essential part of the curriculum right up to an including University level.
Unfortunately the reality is that the powers that be with that responsibility do not yet seem to give any real level of importance to young peoples entrepreneurial development. It seems that children are taught to aspire to want “to get a job” not “create their own enterprise” especially in undeserved schools or communities.
The lack of resources and curriculum's that are devised do not properly support entrepreneurial development and skills for life development.
I founded Blastbeat, it has developed three social enterprise programme for schools ( www.blastbeat.org). It works at primary, secondary and at University level. I am looking to share Blastbeat with any school, college or youth group that is looking for a way to engage young people in social enterprise in a fun way.
Blastbeat is a fun & exciting Music & Multimedia Business / social enterprise progamme offered to teens and schools around the world. With Blastbeat, students organize themselves into Music & Multimedia Companies (MMCs) to compete in the business programme, planning, promoting and hosting a live music event. Students participating choose the 14 roles necessary to compete as a creative entrepreneurial team in this exciting music business challenge, planning, promoting and hosting a live music event, battle of the bands etc.
Within the Blastbeat programme there are two competitions in one that help encourage a true sense of real life, exciting social entrepreneurship and creative skills.
A) the social enterprise competition - winners receive mentor-ship and investment to continue to stage all ages music events for their peers.
B) the music competition for competing artists – winners get managed,recorded and prepared for a real career in Music if they really want it.
Students give a minimum of 25% of their profits to charity that way they get the experienced of what it is like to work as a social entrepreneur.
Blastbeat leverages young people’s passion for music, multimedia, social media, making and sharing friends and money as they have fun learning and experiencing first hand business, technical, inter / intra-personal, team-work, communication, music, social, media & related skills.
Blastbeat also promotes and encourages young original songwriters & musicians, supporting youth communities on a local & global level, empowering teens to create social enterprises creating community and social capital to help bring about change for the good of society.
Blastbeat is championing a way of rolling the programme out to companies across the UK, by engaging companies to partner or adopt local schools and teach company volunteer as mentors and cover the costs of running the programme each year. Please message me of Email me for further details robert@blastbeat.org
Some Press
http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=1039...
http://www.socialenterpriselive.com/section/features/people/2010041...
http://www.agent4change.net/innovation/innovation/640-how-to-create....
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23804125-schools-sou...
http://hounslow.hounslowchronicle.co.uk/2010/04/hounslow-borough-sc...
http://www.businesszone.co.uk/topic/business-profiles/video-u2-jedw...
Multimedia
Blastbeat introductory video, made for us by two 16 year old Blastbeat alumni:
http://www.youtube.com/user/BlastBeatUK#p/u/0/0lVp53Onibo
Blastbeat testimonial collage, also put together by some of our students: http://www.youtube.com/user/BlastBeatUK#p/u/2/hcxr_GzjFW4
Sue John, Principal at Lampton School in Hounslow speaking about the Blastbeat programme in her school:
http://www.youtube.com/user/BlastBeatUK#p/u/1/L5nDE7Ap2RQ
West MMC highlights, featuring kids from South Central and other disadvantaged neighborhoods in LA talking about their Blastbeat experience: http://www.youtube.com/user/BlastBeatUK#p/u/3/e4loLyD3bik
Tags: Blastbeat, Education, Enterprise, Entrepreneur, Music, Social, Teaching, Whole
Views: 51
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Hermione Taylor on -
Hi Robert,
A social enterprise you might be interested in is Real Ideas Organisation - I believe that they work with schools on exactly this issue.
www.realideas.org
In particular take a look at their SE Qualification - http://realideas.org/whatwedo/socialenterprisequalification.
I think it's still in its very early stages, and I have no involvement myself, I just met Paula who runs it at the SHINE Unconference, and was inspired by her work.
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Permalink Reply by Robert Stephenson on -
Hi Petra
thank you very much for your interest and suggestions. Blastbeat has quite an international dimension.
The Blastbeat concept innovation was originally created in Ireland in 2003 by me and has been evolving ever since through various ups and downs. The Blastbeat schools programme was devised to develop student’s life and business skills through the entertainment and music industry.
The Blastbeat programme has achieved tremendous acclaim in all the countries it has been introduced including Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, Belgium, Slovakia and now Japan.
The Blastbeat program teaches social responsibility by encouraging pro-active support of socially worthy causes of the student’s choice. Blastbeat has been operating in schools for 8 years, evolving from the founders work as a social entrepreneur for many years of providing live music events and festivals for teenagers in a safe, alcohol and drug free environment. Blastbeat has operated in over 400 schools across 16 cities, in 7 countries.we had to retreat during the recession, but we are moving out again with a new business model. So any help that you or anyone can give towards this goal it would be very welcome. Lets meet for a coffee in the RSA? best regards - Robert
Funded or sponsored in that time by various grants and local sponsors like Coca Cola (IRL) and Mr Price (SA) and Transformation Trust and the Dept for Education in the UK. Blastbeat intends to launch through licensing or franchising in Australia, Malaysia and India in 2011. In 2010 over 60 hub schools in Greater London participated and it touched into over 240 schools (each hub school networked into all the surrounding schools looking for acts and audiences, thus growing the awareness of all under the City Challenge Programme. Blastbeat was also piloted with youth clubs and a primary school version has been successfully developed. A new dance and sport version have been developed too for 2010/2011.
Petra Stefankova said:Hi Robert, this is interesting. Moreover we could pursue an education initiative to teach young people to be able to approach international markets, build international business concepts, their ability and skills to connect with collaborators and clients on global level. I think this is always an advantage and there are many areas (not only within social enterprise but in general) where young people find such 'global thinking' strategy useful. I personally come from arts background being a global entrepreneur myself, so that if you think I can add a value here, feel free to get in touch.
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Permalink Reply by Robert Stephenson on
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Dear Hermione
Sorry it took me till now to see this and get back to you, I was on holidays and not online for a while.
Thank you very much for your interest and for the link / introduction ROI seems like a great fit and organisation. I am very interested in what they are doing - maybe we can help each other. maybe you could give me Paula's email ? so I could reach out to her.
I look forward to meeting you in or around the RSA someday soon.?
best regards
Robert
Hermione Taylor said:Hi Robert,
A social enterprise you might be interested in is Real Ideas Organisation - I believe that they work with schools on exactly this issue.
www.realideas.org
In particular take a look at their SE Qualification - http://realideas.org/whatwedo/socialenterprisequalification.
I think it's still in its very early stages, and I have no involvement myself, I just met Paula who runs it at the SHINE Unconference, and was inspired by her work.
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Permalink Reply by Sian Thomas on -
Hi Robert
good luck with your great initiative . A charity you might engage with called HTI does similar work on developing these skills with teachers and schools. They are very open minded and have many connections . I totally agree with you about these skills being underdeveloped in young people. My social enterprise is trying to do a similar thing bringing innovative technologies to health and social care .. so that's about making 3 million social entrepreuners in our public services !! Of Course now the politicians think a policy can make it happen but you are right , these behaviours can be learnt and must be so for us to have sustainable business . Quite waht the RSA is all about I think . best regards
sian
www.synuron.org
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Permalink Reply by Robert Stephenson on
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Dear Sian
thank you so much for your message - I have had a quick look at HTI and yes it is a great fit and I will get on to them in the next 24 hours.. I would love to talk with you about your suggestion around health care.. can we do coffee in the RSA soon? or maybe talk on the phone or skype (blastbeat_robert)?
Sian Thomas said:Hi Robert
good luck with your great initiative . A charity you might engage with called HTI does similar work on developing these skills with teachers and schools. They are very open minded and have many connections . I totally agree with you about these skills being underdeveloped in young people. My social enterprise is trying to do a similar thing bringing innovative technologies to health and social care .. so that's about making 3 million social entrepreuners in our public services !! Of Course now the politicians think a policy can make it happen but you are right , these behaviours can be learnt and must be so for us to have sustainable business . Quite waht the RSA is all about I think . best regards
sian
www.synuron.org
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Permalink Reply by Sian Thomas on
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Hi Rober .
thanks i will skype you , my skype name is siansefton. good to connect
Robert Stephenson said:Dear Sian
thank you so much for your message - I have had a quick look at HTI and yes it is a great fit and I will get on to them in the next 24 hours.. I would love to talk with you about your suggestion around health care.. can we do coffee in the RSA soon? or maybe talk on the phone or skype (blastbeat_robert)?
Sian Thomas said:Hi Robert
good luck with your great initiative . A charity you might engage with called HTI does similar work on developing these skills with teachers and schools. They are very open minded and have many connections . I totally agree with you about these skills being underdeveloped in young people. My social enterprise is trying to do a similar thing bringing innovative technologies to health and social care .. so that's about making 3 million social entrepreuners in our public services !! Of Course now the politicians think a policy can make it happen but you are right , these behaviours can be learnt and must be so for us to have sustainable business . Quite waht the RSA is all about I think . best regards
sian
www.synuron.org
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