Program on Social Entrepreneurship finds new home at the Haas Center

The Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law’s (CDDRL) Program on Social Entrepreneurship is pleased to announce a partnership with the Haas Center for Public Service, where the administrative functions for the program will be housed starting in September.

In response to increased student interest in this field, the program is partnering with the Haas Center to expand its impact and reach at Stanford. CDDRL will continue to inform the design and delivery of this important program.

“This partnership with the Haas Center is an important step forward for the Program on Social Entrepreneurship,” said Faculty Director Deborah Rhode. “We have already benefitted from the collaboration and support of the Haas Center and this institutionalized partnership will allow the program to magnify its impact and realize its potential.”

The Haas Center brings a deep understanding of community engaged learning and reaches a diverse student population who are committed to public service. The Program on Social Entrepreneurship will benefit from interacting with a more student facing institution on campus that values engagement with the practitioner community.

“The Program on Social Entrepreneurship sits at the intersection of two public service pathways we hope students will explore while at Stanford – social entrepreneurship and community engaged scholarship, “ said Tom Schnaubelt, the executive director of the Haas Center for Public Service. “We look forward to working with CDDRL to engage practitioners with students.”

Maxwell Matewere, Spring 2013 SEERS fellow, congratulates one of the student groups on their presentation.

Founded in 2011, the Program on Social Entrepreneurship brings three social entrepreneurs –SEERS Fellows – to Stanford each year for a quarter-long residency to teach a course, pursue research projects and deepen their professional networks. The SEERS Fellows are pioneering innovative organizations that work to advance the rights of marginalized groups in communities in the U.S. and across the developing world. 

SEERS Fellows are working to help refugees realize their rights in Latin America, improve literacy for children in underprivileged communities in the U.S., and train women to use sustainable water technologies in Africa. To date, 12 social entrepreneurs have participated in the program.

The program offers a service-learning course (IR 142) that allows students to work together with SEERS fellows on projects that enhance their organizational development and provide students with practical experience inside non-profit organizations. The course – which has received an overwhelming response from the student participants  – is one of the few on campus that provides students the opportunity to work first-hand with a practitioner from the social sector.

The program will welcome a new cohort of SEERS Fellows in January and offer the course again during the winter quarter.

For more information on the Program on Social Entrepreneurship, please click here.