The Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Field Guide

SANDS CENTER FOR

ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP

CEL FIELD GUIDE Your Comprehensive Guide to the Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership

what is cel?

THE SANDS CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP (CEL) provides unique learning opportunities that empower students to tackle any challenge using entrepreneurial thinking. CEL projects and programs incorporate technology, design, and entrepreneurship in a hands-on, project-based fashion. As they engage with the wider world, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy students graduate ready to shape the future, through inquiry, enterprise, and leadership.

an integral part of our student experience The CEL program offers a comprehensive array of projects, courses, and extracurricular experiences through which students build their problem-solving skills and cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset.

The four components of the CEL program are:

A UNIQUE CURRICULUM FOCUSED ON 21ST CENTURY LITERACIES

A TEACHING PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE

Beginning in 5th grade, SCH students take a carefully designed sequence of CEL courses through which they learn important 21st century skills that will enable them to bring their visions and entrepreneurial ventures to life.

As an institution, SCH believes that students learn best through hands-on, project-based experiences that enable them to engage their interests and passions in the process of learning.

A MINDSET TOWARDS PROBLEM SOLVING

A HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE IN VENTURE START-UP

As early as Lower School, SCH students learn to use creative inquiry and critical thinking to solve problems, building on these experiences to develop a sense of agency and a first-hand knowedge of how to make a difference.

Students interested in developing a business or product can participate in the CEL Venture Incubator where, under the supportive guidance of a mentor, they learn the practical steps of starting a for-profit or non-profit venture.

2

entrepreneurship: much more than business At SCH Academy, entrepreneurship is an approach to problem solving. CEL experiences equip our students to be resilient and resourceful, with the mindset and drive to overcome obstacles and create new possibilities.

3

why does entrepreneurship matter?

In the 21st century, innovation is at a premium. Data demonstrate the need for programs that keep students engaged and exercising their creativity throughout the school day. Through CEL, our students learn to be agile, empathetic, and resilient problem solvers, ready for whatever challenges they are presented with. CEL focuses on engagement and creativity in the classroom while equipping students with the flexibility and adaptability for college and future careers.

ENGAGEMENT According to a 2014 Gallup Poll1, engagement in school (their involvement and enthusiasm) plummets as students move to higher grades—from 80% in elementary school to just 40% at the beginning of high school.

CREATIVITY A recent LEGO Foundation study2 reports that students lose more than 90% of their creative capacity during their school years. Exploration and play are essential ingredients in how we fuel our creativity and learning capacity.

…

FLEXIBILITY AND ADAPTABILITY The current average length of a job for a millennial is 2.6 years, and millennials will have 15-20 jobs over the course of their working lives.3

CAREER READINESS 65% of today’s grade-school children will end up in jobs that haven’t been invented yet.4

1.

2.

3.

The 2020 Workplace, Jeanne C. Meister and Karie Willyerd

4.

Project Classroom, “Transforming our Schools for the Future,” The Atlantic, 2011

Gallup Student Poll, 2014 “The Future of Play,” LEGO Learning Institute, 2014

4

an effective preparation for the future Research indicates that student success in both higher education and later in life depends on a combination of academic skills and non-cognitive abilities. CEL prioritizes four key entrepreneurial traits, which comprise “the entrepreneurial mindset”—creative problem solving, opportunity seeking, resiliency, and resourcefulness. These quintessentially entrepreneurial traits enable students to take on interesting and challenging ventures that connect with their passions and give them a valuable advantage as they enter the workplace.

Resourcefulness

Creative Problem Solving

Students are able to independently seek out resources and references to pursue their projects and ventures.

Through design thinking and non-graded, explorationbased learning experiences, students create solutions to problems without clearly defined structures.

Resiliency

Opportunity Seeking

Students work diligently to overcome adversity and develop perseverance as they pursue their goals. These traits are also known as grit.

Students see and experience problems as opportunities to create solutions.

DO YOU HAVE GRIT? Take educator Angela Duckworth’s survey: http://angeladuckworth.com/grit-scale

5

skills learned through cel In CEL, we equip students to inquire, analyze, design, and be fully literate in a variety of valuable skills. These skills are learned and practiced initially in CEL classes. Students can then apply them to their work across the curriculum.

ENGINEERING Students explore circuits, mechanical engineering, and robotics—powerful frameworks for invention and problem solving.

CODING We equip our students to understand and be conversant with the language that governs the world around them, including today’s technology and digital devices.

NEW MEDIA Media literacies are evolving at a rapid pace. We equip students to explore and learn using a variety of media, including video and audio production, 3D printing and fabrication, and various design tools.

COLLABORATION Collaboration is a vital element of the CEL student experience.

Our courses are often rooted in team-based problem solving, collaboration with mentors, and networking with subject-matter experts.

COMMUNICATION Our students learn to communicate clearly and compellingly, making use of the latest in digital technology and video.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP The process of investigating, prototyping, and launching an entrepreneurial venture is one avenue for students to express themselves and pursue their passions.

6

cel course sequence 5TH GRADE

Adventures in New Media

Introduction to Acting & Video

Social Entrepreneurship

6TH GRADE

LEGO Robotics

Acting & Video Production

Collaboration & Teamwork

7TH GRADE

Introduction to Coding

Media & Live Performance

Design & Prototyping

8TH GRADE

Creative Problem Solving

Digital Publishing

Money Matters

9TH GRADE

Electronics & Microprocessors

Intro to App Development

Research, Data & Analysis

CEL Venture Incubator

Design & Fabricating

Capstone Experience

10TH GRADE

Students choose one of the following studios in which to imagine, design, and create their Capstone project: Social Impact, Invention, App, Media, or Start-Up

11TH–12TH GRADES

Electives Entrepreneurship, Coding, Communication, Engineering, Collaboration, New Media

7

Students in 3rd-12th grade are eligible to apply to participate in CELVI

course highlights 6th Grade

7th Grade

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

LEGO ROBOTICS

DESIGN AND PROTOTYPING

Students research entrepreneurs in developing regions of the world that are seeking crowdsource funding and whose ventures they’d like to support.

They create small businesses to raise funds and use these proceeds to make microloans to help improve opportuntities for people challenged by poverty.

Students explore the expansive world of LEGO EV3 robotics. Through daily challenges, they gain experience in the basics of building and construction, the use of sensors that read the environment, following instructions, and dead reckoning.

Using Google SketchUp softtware, students are challenged to design 3D objects on their computers and then prepare and export their designs for fabrication using a MakerBot 3D printer.

5th Grade

8

8th Grade

9th Grade

10th Grade

MONEY MATTERS

CODING FOR THE WEB

SOPHOMORE CAPSTONE

Students explore the variety of factors that drive the economy and how those factors affect their lives.

Through project-based learning experiences, they learn the fundamentals of both personal finance and the costs and considerations of starting a small business.

Students learn the foundations of website development through a project-based learning experience that culminates in their designing a personal website. The goal of this introductory course is to make coding fun and accessible to absolute beginners.

All 10th grade CEL students participate in a semester-long Capstone project that challenges them to consolidate and apply what they’ve learned in design, creative problem solving, coding, engineering, and entrepreneurship. The Capstone ends with a public showcase event where they present their work.

9

cel venture incubator The CEL Venture Incubator (CELVI) is an extracurricular program, open to all students beginning in the 3rd grade. CELVI is a unique combination of project-based learning and external mentorship, with a focus on each student’s unique, individual interest area. It is an opportunity for students to apply their CEL skills to an entrepreneurial venture of their own design.

CELVI The CEL Venture Incubator is a combination of resources, project support, and direct one-to-one mentoring of students pursuing passion-based learning. Students apply to participate in CELVI by submitting their idea for review, and if selected, they are partnered with an experienced mentor who helps them navigate the various phases of taking an idea from fuzzy concept to authentic outcome.

TYPES OF STUDENT VENTURES

Since 2014, nearly 200 students have participated in CELVI and been mentored through the process of building a plan and pitch for over 100 ventures. This has happened with the guidance of over 60 experienced mentors, both local to Philadelphia and from across the country.

Nonprofit

App/Web/Game

36

Consumer Product

Apparel/Jewelry

34

13

13

Services Service 6 Artistic/Creative Endeavor 6

10

labs and collaboration spaces CEL spaces for creation, innovation, and fabrication reflect the goals and objectives of our program and sit at the intersection of design, technology, and entrepreneurship.

1

4

2

1 Mobile whiteboards are used for brainstorming and project planning throughout the CEL space.

2 Our Fabrication Lab includes 3D printers, laser cutters, and large-format poster printers.

3

4 The CEL Atrium space features a large format screen, staging, and flexible seating for presentations.

Breakout spaces, with glass walls and whiteboard tables, provide the perfect setting for small group collaboration.

11

6

5

3

5

6

The Design and Fabrication Lab was designed by SCH students in their CEL architecture class.

Our Media Production Lab provides green screen and audio production suites for use in student projects.

cel fuels students’ interests and passions Entrepreneurs are found across all industries—not just in for-profit business but also in social enterprise, the arts, education, and the creative economy. These pioneers have a core passion that fuels their pursuits. They support that passion with a variety of integral skills that enable them to turn their ideas into reality. Below are three students whose work embodies the entrepreneurial spirit and mindset we cultivate through CEL.

REKHA, GRADE 12

SARAH, GRADE 11

DANE, GRADE 10

Project: A conference to educate young women about how to advocate for climate change, featuring workshops, speakers, presentations, advocacy training, and thoughtprovoking conversations Passion: The science of climate change Skills Gained: Project management, collaboration, communication, marketing

Project: An app that translates dogs’ barking into verbal requests. With the use of a Bluetooth-enabled collar, the app alerts the user with a message whenever the dog barks.

Passion: Dog training Skills Gained: Design, engineering, coding, research, communication

Project: Expandable shoes that grow with your feet, eliminating the need to purchase multiple pairs of shoes and making shoes more accessible to more people throughout the world, particularly in third-world countries Passion: Sneakers Skills Gained: Social entrepreneurship, 2D and 3D design, material engineering, collaboration

12

cel staff Ed Glassman Executive Director eglassman@sch.org 215-261-6966

Jessica Stokes Program Manager jstokes@sch.org 215-248-7597

The Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership is exploring new ways of innovating in the K-12 environment. I am so impressed to see students create their own ventures, using design thinking, technology, and collaboration skills to solve big problems and make a positive and lasting impact on the world around them.

Barbara “Bobbi� Kurshan, Executive Director of Academic Innovation & Senior Fellow in Education, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania

The VI has helped me in every way. Getting authentic feedback, making connections, and developing a plan and curriculum were crucial. It turned an idea into something real. It helped me focus and set goals.

Annabel, CELVI 11th Grade Student

By emphasizing an entrepreneurial mindset and integrating problem solving and design thinking across the curriculum, The Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership gives SCH students a competitive advantage in our rapidly changing job market.

Ian P. Sladen, Associate Dean, Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship, Drexel University

SANDS CENTER FOR

ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP

500 West Willow Grove Avenue • Philadelphia, PA 19118-4198 215-247-7007 | SCH.ORG