Civic Imagination and Social Entrepreneurship (cross-listed as Political Science 209, American Studies 280, and Sociology 298) will be offered again this Fall 2010 semester on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 to 12:45.
Students in the class will read, think and talk about ideas and examples relating to the process of social change. They’ll also work in groups to choose a social problem or opportunity and launch a practical project to create change on campus or, through the campus, in the wider community. The plan for the project will be the major piece of academic work produced for the class. Implementation will be up to you: If you’re inspired, hopefully you’ll decide to follow through even after you complete the course in December.
Projects developed by students in this class in fall 2008 and fall 2009 have included creating a basketball league for homeless men in Baltimore (implemented summer 2009), blanketing the UMBC campus with black and gold banners to build school spirit (to be completed in the next few months), setting up new applied research opportunities for UMBC undergraduates (one of this year’s Prove It! finalists), launching a human rights awareness campaign focusing initially on hunger and access to clean water (you’ll see this unfold starting next month), developing new health and wellness resources for UMBC students, setting up a community action program for middle-school students, and establishing a healthy food co-op on campus.
If you have questions about the class, please email David Hoffman at dhoffman@umbc.edu.