COLLEGE FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION INC

COLLEGE FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION (CFSI) IS A NEW COLLEGE PARTNERSHIP MODEL WITH A MISSION OF EDUCATING AND INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF PROBLEM SOLVERS. OUR MODEL PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR DIVERSE COHORTS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS TO EARN A FULL SEMESTER OF CREDIT FOR WELL-SUPPORTED FELLOWSHIPS IN NON-PROFITS, THE PUBLIC SECTOR, AND SOCIAL MISSION BUSINESSES. STUDENTS LEARN THROUGH ACTIVE MENTORING, JOB-RELATED ASSIGNMENTS, AND RELATED SEMINARS AND REFLECTION ACTIVITIES, ALL OF WHICH WILL HELP THEM BUILD CAREER-BASED COMPETENCIES, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS, AND NETWORKS. STUDENTS SERVE FOUR DAYS A WEEK WITH HOST ORGANIZATIONS, WORKING UNDER A DEDICATED MENTOR AND ALSO PARTICIPATE IN A FOUNDATION COURSE OFFERED ONE EVENING, "THE SOCIAL INNOVATOR'S TOOL BOX, AND ENGAGE IN A SKILL-BUILDING AND REFLECTIVE COURSE ON FRIDAYS CALLED "BECOMING A PROBLEM SOLVER." PARTICIPATING STUDENTS EARN A FULL 16 CREDITS (OR EQUIVALENT) FROM THEIR HOME COLLEGE WITH NO ADDITIONAL TUITION OR FEES. HOST ORGANIZATIONS ARE ABLE TO INVEST IN FUTURE TALENT THROUGH THE OPPORTUNITY TO MENTOR AND DEVELOP A STUDENT FELLOW. OUR LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO CREATE A BIGGER, BETTER PREPARED, AND MORE DIVERSE TALENT PIPELINE FOR THE SOCIAL SECTOR.IN THE DYNAMIC LANDSCAPE OF EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, OUR STUDENT RESULTS AND MENTOR EVALUATIONS IN FISCAL YEAR 2025 SPEAK TO THE TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT WE'VE HAD ON OUR FELLOWS AND HOST ORGANIZATIONS. OUR EVALUATION FRAMEWORK, B-CREL (BUILDING CAREER READINESS THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING), ALLOWS STUDENTS TO SELF-ASSESS THEIR GROWTH ACROSS 20 CORE COMPETENCIES AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF THE SEMESTER, WHILE THEIR MENTORS PROVIDE MIDTERM AND FINAL EVALUATIONS AS PART OF THEIR ACADEMIC GRADE. IN FISCAL YEAR 2024, WE PILOTED A COMPETENCY-BASED BADGING SYSTEM THAT AWARDS BRONZE, SILVER, AND GOLD RECOGNITION FOR PROGRESS IN EACH OF THESE AREAS. IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, THIS MICRO-CREDENTIAL PROGRAM, NOW NAMED "BADGEQUEST" HAS BEEN EXPANDED AND INTEGRATED INTO ALL OF OUR SEMESTER-BASED PROGRAMMING. DURING THE FALL OF 2024 AND SPRING OF 2025, OUR FELLOWS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT GROWTH IN ALL 20 WORKFORCE-RELATED COMPETENCIES, THE BIGGEST IMPROVEMENTS LARGELY BEING IN SKILLS EMPLOYERS VALUE MOST, INCLUDING COMMUNICATION, CRITICAL THINKING, AND TEAMWORK ACROSS DIFFERENCES. IN RELATION TO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PERSONAL GROWTH, 100% OF ALUMNI CONTINUE TO REPORT GAINING PROFESSIONAL SKILLS, 99% REPORT GATHERING NEW CONNECTIONS WITHIN THEIR PROFESSIONAL NETWORK, AND 98% REPORT BUILDING THE SKILLS TO BECOME A MORE VALUABLE EMPLOYEE. BUT OUR IMPACT IS NOT ONLY LIMITED TO OUR STUDENTS, ONE MENTOR'S COMMENT ILLUSTRATES THE VALUE FELLOWS BRING TO HOST ORGANIZATIONS: "THIS PROGRAM FACILITATED CAPACITY-BUILDING AND ENHANCED MY MANAGERIAL SKILLS. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE SEEKING MEANINGFUL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT." IN A LANDSCAPE WHERE ONLY 36% OF BUSINESS LEADERS BELIEVE THAT TRADITIONAL COLLEGES ADEQUATELY PREPARE GRADUATES FOR THE WORKFORCE, OUR HIGH-IMPACT EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING MODEL IS PROVIDING UNPARALLELED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND INDISPENSABLE LIFE SKILLS. IN THE SPRING OF 2024, WE PILOTED A NEW GAP YEAR INITIATIVE WITH DIRECT OUTREACH TO STUDENTS WHO HAD NOT YET ENROLLED IN COLLEGE OR HAD LEFT COLLEGE AND WERE LOOKING FOR A DIFFERENT KIND OF EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE. WE SERVED 10 SUCH STUDENTS AND NOTED THAT OVERALL, GAP STUDENTS THRIVED IN THEIR INTERNSHIPS, RECEIVED GOOD FEEDBACK FROM MENTORS, AND FIT IN WELL WITH THEIR COHORT. WE ALSO SAW WAYS IN WHICH OUR PROGRAMS DRAMATICALLY ACCELERATED THEIR SKILLS, MATURITY, AND NETWORKS, AND PUT THEM ON BETTER POST-SECONDARY PATHWAYS. AS PART OF OUR GO-TO-MARKET STRATEGY WE HAVE BECOME A MEMBER OF THE GAP YEAR ASSOCIATION, DEVELOPED RELATIONSHIPS WITH APPROXIMATELY 25 DEDICATED GAP YEAR COUNSELORS AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, AND NEGOTIATED WITH NEW VENDING PARTNERS FOR DIRECT INTRODUCTIONS TO 100 INDEPENDENT EDUCATIONAL COUNSELORS. WITHIN JUST MONTHS OF OUR GAP YEAR PILOT LAUNCH, THESE EFFORTS HAVE RESULTED IN OUR SEMESTER IN THE CITY PROGRAM BECOMING A TOP 50 (OF APPROXIMATELY 650) RANKED GAP YEAR PROGRAM AMONG KEY DISCOVERY PLATFORMS. IN 2025, OUR GAP YEAR INITIATIVE CONTINUES TO EXPAND, AND WE HAVE ADDED NEW SUPPORTS SPECIFICALLY TARGETED TO GAP YEAR STUDENTS INCLUDING ADDITIONAL CAREER COACHING, ACADEMIC ADVISING, AND FINANCIAL SUPPORTS.IN JULY OF 2023, WE BEGAN WORKING UNDER THE FIRST YEAR OF AN AMERICORPS NATIONAL DIRECT GRANT. OUR SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF AMERICORPS PROGRAMS LED TO CFSI COLLECTING OUR FULL GRANT FUNDING, SUCCESSFUL CLEARING OF FEDERAL GRANT COMPLIANCE, AND ALLOWED US TO RAISE CFSI'S NATIONAL PROFILE THROUGH AMERICORPS CONFERENCES AND NETWORKING. OUR AMERICORPS SERVICE WORK HAS CONTINUED THROUGH 2025, COLLECTING OUR FULL GRANT FUNDING, AND PROVIDING CONTINUE SUPPORT AND ADVOCACY TO AMERICORPS PROGRAMS AND MEMBERS.