Social Entrepreneur Essay Assignment

Worksheet for Assignment--Social Entrepreneurs: Engaged Citizenry

1. How to start:

Students need to explore the terms, entrepreneur, engaged citizenry, business, social good to grasp fully what it meant by the term: social entrepreneur. Another related, but different term is philanthropy. An entrepreneur is not necessarily a philanthropist. You need to know the difference and do not choose a philanthropist. (Each student received a handout to help facilitate this process).

2.  Identifying the person to profile

This semester we are looking at a person whose resistance is connected to service. Identify a business person who exemplifies this concept. Sometimes the person's actions create institutional and social change through rupture of entire hierarchical systems through political, social, economic and educational movements.

Perhaps your rebel is such a person. Rosa Parks certainly was. Her reach was complex and expansive.

The person has to be documented, which means she cannot be new to this field. The person profiled cannot be you. I used to say the person couldn't be related to you, but that's okay as long as the other criteria is met.

The entrepreneur needs to live in Northern California and be alive. I suggest students get the person approved as soon as possible so if you plan to interview the person, you have time to get on their calendar. Interviews are great as one of the sources cited in the essay. You need minimally five (5). 

3. The Essay

Introduction

Open with the problem statement. Be descriptive. In this essay you are to show how the entrepreneur is a rebel, that is, does not allow fixed systems, political or social or civic to limit the scope of what s/he sees as ethical or moral or just.  Connect the rebel's solution to the problem and her organizational work to the community served. What is at stake for the entrepreneur? What is at stake for the community served? How do the two overlap?  Describe the synergy? Is it a direct result of this project or business venture?

The thesis sentence names your social entrepreneur as a "rebel" who is addressing the problem identified in the introduction. 

Define what you mean by "rebel" in the essay, if not in the introduction, then somewhere near the beginning of the discourse, so we will know what you mean when you say "rebel" and indicate why she or he resists or pushes back against the dominant system many times governmental.

Are we mere pawns in the grand scheme of things, even in a democracy? Obviously not, since there are people like your rebel who do not allow such systems to limit what they are capable of given community support and resources.

Body paragraphs
 

Background on the social entrepreneur and what brings them to the work. You can cite statistics here to illustrate the problem. 

Introduce the organization or business venture. Does the work grow out of the community? 

How do the SE and the community interact?

Are there any partnerships with other organizations and/or government?

Are there any peer reviews or industry reports?

Conclusion

What are the measurable results for the community? Share a story here.

What are the measurable results for the SE. You could quote the SE here.

Your essay needs to answer all of these questions; you can structure it like a typical problem/solution essay or cause and effect.

Notes:

The person has to be alive. Try to find someone local, who is living in the San Francisco Bay Area or in California. The person has to have been doing this work for 10-20 years (the length of time is negotiable; see me). 

Research

1. You need to locate 5 sources on your subject to form a bibliography; you don't have to cite them all. The sources can be published or broadcast interviews, books, articles, and films or you can interview them yourself. You can work in groups and share data. In fact, I encourage it.

2. You will have three citations: 1 in-text citation, one paraphrase, and one block quote in the essay. The rest of the writing has to be your own. The essay should be about 4-5 pages.

This does not include the works cited page or bibliography.

This paper is your final.

Due Dates Checklist:

1. Library Planning Sheet (handout) due by Thursday, November 7 (bring to class as a paper copy)_____________

2. List of sources (5) minimum in MLA format due November 13 bring copies to class)___________

3. Essay: Initial Planning Sheet, Outline, Thesis is due: November 18 (bring copies to class) ______

4. Fast draft of essay due Tuesday, November 19 (Bring 4 copies to class) ________

5. Peer Review Monday, November 25 __________ (bring 4 copies to class)

6. Essay portfolio sent to coasabirenglish1A@gmail.com Tuesday, November 26.

Supplementary Assignments and Due Dates

7. On-line Frontline World (cyber-responses 3) November 4-7, 2013_______
See http://professorwandasposse.blogspot.com/2013/10/frontline-world-cyber-assignment.html

8. Library Research sheet: November 7  _______________. 

9. Instructor approval of entrepreneur. Write a brief position paper on how this person fits the assignment (100-250 words). Bring to class. Make sure I respond in writing. Due in the same time frame as the Library Research Sheet--by Nov. 7, 2013.