Social Innovation Minor

Location(s): Storm Lake

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Students who participate in the minor in Social Innovation (including but not limited to Education for Service (EFS) Scholars) will demonstrate ability and commitment to collaboratively work across and within community contexts and structures to achieve a civic aim, while also understanding their individual identity in social context. They will demonstrate the interdependence between communities, societies, and the rest of the world by engaging with others in learning about and acting on an issue they care about. And they will demonstrate an understanding of relationships between diversity, inequality, and social, economic, and political power both in the United States and globally.

EFS scholars will complete both of BVU’s general education “bookend” courses, 0BVU 100 University Seminar and the IDST 400 Interdisciplinary Capstone. Doing so ensures that EFS students enjoy the benefits of the distinct curricular experiences of University Seminar and the General Education Capstone course. In addition to 0BVU 100 and IDST 400 , EFS students and other students pursuing the Social Innovation minor will be required to complete a “core” of courses (6 credit-hours), and four additional courses, at least one in each of the following three areas (12 credit-hours; 18 credit hours total):

Community Engagement & Context - strategies for building coalitions to bring about social change
Civic Identity - identify how groups come together and self-define to achieve shared goals
Diversity and Intercultural Competency - recognizing and responding to intersectionality.

Elective courses listed in the three areas are pre-approved but are only suggestions; other courses may be substituted. At least 6 hours must be at the 300-hour level. Elective courses may be taken online if necessary.

The zero credit-hour 0BVU 205 Education for Service Scholars Lab will provide EFS scholars an opportunity to develop cohorts, build relationships with non-profit organizations, and develop critical reflection and leadership skills in relation to their service. The lab is required for EFS scholars only and not for social innovation minors who are not EFS scholars.