INTEGRATED ACE Math and Communications taught through Social Innovation projects

INTRODUCTION Presenter: Darcie Brown Please share: 1)Your name 2)Something you did in the last week that used both communication and numeracy skills

SESSION GOALS Share course development process The initial idea of integrating curricula Social Innovation as a fit for the goals of colleges The Course Outline and sample assessment Generating ideas for integration and / or infusing social innovation, and for getting this going at your school

ABOUT ACADEMIC UPGRADING AU is a tuition-free fulltime program for English-speaking adults looking to upgrade their Literacy and Numeracy skills for the purpose of further postsecondary study or employment. Each course is 8-10 hours per week

THE LEARNERS Average age of ~ 30 Have encountered barriers to success in mainstream education Special cohort: Women Transitioning to Trades and Employment

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT Why integrate courses?

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT What courses to include? Fit with AU’s schedule / student timetabling needs

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT What topic would hold the course together? Science curriculum Effective student skills Food Learner-driven Social Innovation Projects / Work

SOCIAL INNOVATION 1. Is an idea that works for the public good 2. Is informed by Gramsci’s critique of cultural hegemony and cultural capital: people with this power create culture in their own image, and social innovation is about disrupting this norm 3. Refers to the creation, development, adoption, and integration of new concepts, practices and strategies that put the planet first and result in positive social impacts 4. The success of a social innovation is measured by its durability, scale, and transformative impact (Wood, N., 2016)

EXAMPLES OF SOCIAL INNOVATION

GBC’S SOCIAL INNOVATION HUB Internships for Community Service programs Students learn the theory and practice of social innovation Emphasis on collaborative practice, effective communication and collective resilience Students incubate and launch social innovation projects related to their programs of study

SOCIAL INNOVATION HUB PROJECTS The People’s University Cafe Restorative Justice for Grade 6s Breathing Room – Stress Management

SOCIAL INNOVATION AS COLLEGE CURRICULUM: MY LEARNING FROM THE S.I. HUB Flexibility!

SOCIAL INNOVATION AS COLLEGE CURRICULUM Social Innovation is a means to disrupt hegemonic discourses, while using the language and tools of the business world.

SOCIAL INNOVATION AS COLLEGE CURRICULUM The need for a different relationship to ‘failure’:

Rethinking resilience: Beyond individual adaptability to change, resilience can be one’s ability to be a supportive member of a collective experiencing change. SOCIAL INNOVATION AS COLLEGE CURRICULUM

My role as a teacher is neither micromanage nor to step back completely: it is to inspire, and connect the students’ interests and questions to the related theoretical and historical background. SOCIAL INNOVATION AS COLLEGE CURRICULUM

Learners really shone as leaders and supporters

SOCIAL INNOVATION AND THE GOALS OF COLLEGE EDUCATION Connects the business and social service worlds Response to the neoliberalism of current public policy which centers the individual as a ‘free’ actor in a capitalist market Social Innovation as a work-integrated learning opportunity (HEQCO 2016): Creative Self-directed but still rich in theory Provides opportunities for leadership

SOCIAL INNOVATION WORK AND EMPLOYABILITY A ‘more just’ way to do employability Names inequities of systems, and focuses on addressing them in real ways Is not focused on individual responsibility for success

PROJECT BASED, EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING Separating ‘subjects’ into silos lacks authenticity To progress in the work world, synthesizing skills are necessary

THE COURSE OUTLINE The outcomes remain the same Additions: Evaluation system: list of assessments Introductory paragraph

A SAMPLE WEEK TimeMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday Percentages lesson - Social network check-in - Percentages lesson 2 - Use of percentages in media - Statistics lesson (MMM, graphs) - StatsCan follow- up: create quiz questions - Preparing statistics for articles - Lesson on effective ‘commenting’ - 20 min quiz - Writing articles update events calendar - Comm lesson: identifying bias in media - Reading news articles related to SI interest, identifying bias / purpose - Based on an event st’s attended, outline 2 articles showing different bias - Peer and instructor conferencing - Writing articles - Sharing articles, commenting and responding to comments 2-4- Library session: using StatsCan - Stats in Excel - Community Calendar

THE PITCH! An idea for either an integration of content or infusion of social innovation to your teaching (or an idea that’s both!) How would you pitch this idea to someone who would be involved? Describe your idea – include an exciting project output that goes beyond your department Why would this be a beneficial learning opportunity for your students in particular? How will you get started?

THANK YOU, AND KEEP IN TOUCH!