Fostering the Mindset and Skills for Social Entrepreneurship among Engineering Students: A Case Study from UBC Okanagan

Providing social entrepreneurship education to young change-makers can bring transformative outcomes, and partnering with post-secondary institutions can unlock new capacity for a transformative future.

In Fall 2023, the School of Engineering at the University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus (UBCO) integrated Impact Toolbox’s social entrepreneurship training into the Engineering Capstone Design Project course taught by Profs. Kenneth Chau and Alon Eisenstein. Through a customized, self-paced online course designed by Impact Toolbox, students developed innovative engineering solutions while at the same time gained essential knowledge and skills for creating sustainable social enterprises.

Traditionally, the engineering perspective focuses its attention on the scope of the immediate problem to be solved without necessarily addressing future opportunities once the project is complete. This was a great opportunity to expand students’ perspectives from a project-based mindset to envisioning sustainable and scalable solutions that can have recurring, lasting societal impacts. “This is where social entrepreneurship adds value—inspiring confidence and purpose in students beyond the scope of the projects,” Professor Eisenstein emphasizes.

Recognizing this opportunity, additional support was secured for students interested in entrepreneurial-based capstone projects through the Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL Canada) iHub program. The iHub funding afforded the projects’ material expenses for the entrepreneurial teams, as well as enabled students to benefit from Impact Toolbox’s online social entrepreneurship course that was adapted specifically for the engineering capstone course.

The online social entrepreneurship course complemented the existing engineering capstone curriculum and offered flexible, self-paced study options. Students were taught foundational concepts such as refining ideas, developing a business model, and developing a minimally viable product. “Impact Toolbox allowed my students to take a crash course in entrepreneurship without impacting my teaching that was focused on the capstone course,” says Professor Eisenstein.

Participation in the online course was an overwhelming success, highlighted by a 98% completion rate and positive student reviews. Half of the students developed social impact and business models related to their engineering projects, while five new social enterprises were created, spanning diverse sectors, including health, aviation, transportation, and clean energy. In total, 41 engineering students gained knowledge about social entrepreneurship and developed capabilities to lead sustainable social impact.

The synergy between Impact Toolbox and the School of Engineering’s capstone course uncovered some important insights:

"Considering this is an independent online learning course, it’s extremely valuable that an actual person at Impact Toolbox read my students’ submissions and gave them feedback, much like they receive in their regular university courses."

Alon Eisenstein

Professor

Human feedback and interaction in online learning are invaluable, highlighted by the personalized feedback provided by Impact Toolbox.
Understanding that participants come with varying motivations and expectations. Setting expectations is key—not everyone will immediately see the significance of social entrepreneurship nor be as invested in this journey as we may want them to be.

Moving forward, securing ongoing funding to sustain similar initiatives remains a challenge for post-secondary institutions and external providers alike. Nonetheless, continued collaboration between Impact Toolbox and post-secondary institutions holds significant potential in amplifying best practices in social entrepreneurship education among young visionaries.

This shared experience between Impact Toolbox and the UBCO School of Engineering showcases the power of collaboration in equipping students with social entrepreneurship knowledge. By addressing resource challenges and uncertain support for early-stage social entrepreneurs, Impact Toolbox offers a customizable, ready-made solution through coaching support and an online self-paced course. We enhance your organization’s capacity to train and support budding social entrepreneurs, making high-quality content accessible and driving real impact in communities.