New program encourages students to become social entrepreneurs

Can one person change the world? The Kauffman Entrepreneurial Community Internship Program (KECIP) allows both grads and undergrads an opportunity to utilize skills and knowledge gained in the classroom to become catalysts for social change — and to get paid for doing it.

The program is part of the Wiscontrepreneur Initiative, made possible in part by a grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and administered by the UW–Madison Office of Corporate Relations and the Morgridge Center for Public Service. In 2008, four KECIP proposals were funded, each aiming to build strong student-community relationships and establish a legacy of local change.

“In both my personal and professional life I feel a strong need to give back to my community,” said program recipient Amy Hilgendorf, a graduate student in the School of Human Ecology, who was a member of a group project in which recipients researched the effectiveness of programs provided through the Kennedy Heights Community Center. “KECIP was a wonderful opportunity to do this in a new capacity.”

Nationally there is a growing trend towards university programs that encourage students to become social entrepreneurs who create innovative solutions to pressing societal problems. Over 30 colleges and universities have implemented similar programs in recent years, according to an October 2008 report by the Washington Post.

“Entrepreneurship is not just about creating profit. It’s also about creating social value,” said Assistant Dean Benjamin Rodriguez, one of the principal advisors for KECIP. “It is very exciting that Wisconsin students have a chance to be a part of this movement, especially in our rural/urban Wisconsin communities.”

“This has gone beyond just our semester-long student project,” expressed Catherine Phan, representative of a group of KECIP participants who worked with the Red Cliff Indian Reservation tribal library in Ashland, WI that was in danger of being closed. “We’ve recruited new students to carry on with the next stage in the development of the library, and have established a committed, long-term partnership between the UW Madison School of Library Studies and the Red Cliff community.”

According to Louise Robbins, chair of Library and Information Sciences at UW–Madison, the learning outcomes of the project have been tremendous for both the school and students themselves.

“They have developed and demonstrated their leadership as well as their knowledge and appreciation for the Red Cliff community and their sense of project management,” said Robbins, pointing out that the impact of the project to the Red Cliff community will involve the presentation of the needs assessment and evaluation project to the tribal council.

Additional KECIP efforts include a Spanish-English dual-immersion summer language camp and a listening project for Wisconsin grassroots organizations working for social justice and self-determination.

KECIP internships vary in length and may begin as early as spring semester 2009. Students accepted in the program will receive a stipend ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 depending on the length of their internship. Groups of five or fewer students will receive up to $6,500 for their project. The sponsoring community organization will be awarded a $1,000 stipend to offset program implementation costs.

Interested students need to submit their project proposals to the Morgridge Center by Friday, Dec. 5, for the first application period or Friday, April 28, 2009, for the 2009-2010 academic year. Students may choose KECIP projects in Dane, Ashland or Milwaukee counties.