On March 6, six Nebraska Wesleyan University students and two professors boarded a plane en route to a classroom in Estonia.
There they will spend the next 10 days with 12 new classmates, six from the University of Tartu — Nebraska Wesleyan’s sister school in Estonia — and six from the College of Charleston in South Carolina.
Their travel is the start of a new class focused on social entrepreneurship called, “Network Globally/Act Locally.”
Students enrolled in the class are charged with developing a product or service that will make the world a better place or meet a social need. Students will travel to Estonia to meet fellow classmates, split into teams and generate their ideas. They’ll spend the remainder of the semester at their home campuses and meet virtually to develop and refine their products or services. In June they will travel to Charleston where they will present their developed ideas to angel investors, people who invest money in new ideas and businesses.
The ultimate goal is for students to gain experience working with people from different backgrounds and cultures and to understand the process of creating a business or idea that helps make the world a better place.
“I really like the focus on social entrepreneurship,” said Rachel Pokora, professor of communications and a co-instructor for the class. “I love that the focus is on solving something socially instead of making a million dollars although it’s okay to make a million dollars if you’re making the world a better place.”
The students participating in this class are equally excited about the opportunities this class has created.
“What I bring to the table is something no other student in the course brings, a collective realm of experiences and knowledge unique to me, likewise of all my fellow students in the course,” said Ryan Hagenson, a senior biochemistry and molecular biology major. “We are so varied and each so committed to making this experience one that is truly amazing that I feel energized to attend class, knowing it will be nothing like a typical class from now to the end of June when we present our ideas to the angel investors.”
Senior Jessica Gehr, a political science and business double major, is enjoying the chance to bring both her majors together.
“As a political science major, I am drawn to social action and change. I am also a business major and interested in innovation. This class allows me to combine my majors together to bring about social change,” she said. “It allows me to see different opportunities that are interdisciplinary. Since social entrepreneurship is so broad, I can explore opportunities in sectors that I am not normally exposed to.”
Pokora and James Perry, assistant professor of professional studies and class co-instructor, have spent the past several weeks meeting with the six NWU students during early morning meetings. They’ve had thorough discussions and readings on social entrepreneurship and have participated in exercises to embrace their creative abilities.
“It will be interesting to see how the students work together both in person and virtually,” said Perry. “I’ve never been a part of a project like this.”
The class has been made possible through the Harry and Reba Huge Foundation, which has provided full-tuition scholarships to Nebraska Wesleyan students and funded experiences like the men’s and women’s basketball teams’ travel to Estonia.
“There’s a special relationship between these institutions nurtured by the Huge Foundation,” said Pokora. “Harry Huge wants to promote involvement between Estonia and the United States.”
And based on their early experiences thus far, both Pokora and Perry hope the social entrepreneurship class is something that more NWU students can experience.
“I’m really grateful that the Huge foundation is making a lot of experiences like this for our students,” said Pokora. “We hope that they do this again because it is a wonderful opportunity for our students.”
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Last September students were invited to apply for the Network Globally/Act Locally social entrepreneurship class. Students selected include:
- Elenita Donley, a junior from Lincoln.
- Jessica Gehr, a junior from Lincoln.
- Ryan Hagenson, a senior from Bellevue.
- Jennifer Heywood, a senior from Lincoln.
- Tarryn Tietjen, a sophomore from Hebron.
- Rhys Williams, a senior from Superior.