SERVICE LEARNING

The Service Learning program continues to grow and flourish at the ICA. This year, participants in the program included two different students groups from Nebraska Wesleyan University, students from DePaul University’s Stean Center Scholars Program, and students from the INSEEC Grand Ecole in Paris and Bordeaux in France.

INSEEC student presents work

Most recently, in November, ICA conducted a three-week portion of a ten week Chicago experience for Masters of Business Administration students from Paris. The students were enrolled in a degree program focusing on Social Entrepreneurship. Twenty-three English speaking graduate students – housed across the city of Chicago – spent four days a week from November 4 through November 22 in an intensive learning lab facilitated by ICA Service-Learning team. The ICA’s portion of the students’ Chicago experience explored social entrepreneurship in the context of the challenges contemporary globalization presents to local communities.

Each of the three weeks began with a day of contextual academic work focusing on three themes: the role of social entrepreneurship in Creating a Just and Equitable Society, Shaping Sustainable Communities, and Building the Foundations for Peace. Three days of practical engagement through internship assignments followed. Students’ internship placements were framed by the academic context. Students were placed at sites across the city that are shaping entrepreneurial responses to the challenges local communities are facing in these times of transition. On Thursday of each week, students reflected in an electronic blog post about their internship experience and its connection to the contextual work highlighted that week.

At the end of their nine day internship placements—three days each of the three weeks--the students showcased their work in a celebratory gathering with their host site organizers. Given the success of this year, ICA anticipates a continued partnership with INSEEC as more and more young professionals are looking towards socially responsive entrepreneurship.