Social Entrepreneurship - Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School

Inspired by our upper-school-aged students’ passion for tikkun olam and our history of innovation in hands-on, project-based learning, Hausner is proud to pilot our pioneering Entrepreneurship and Social Impact Program in February.

Our first-of-its-kind Entrepreneurship and Social Impact Program continues Hausner’s long history of educational innovation by applying Silicon Valley’s start-up spirit to society’s most pressing challenges, combining hands-on problem solving and critical thinking, deeply rooted in Jewish ethics, texts, and the entrepreneurial nature of our history.

This new program, initially piloted with 6th graders, will integrate with our successful 7th grade Avodah L’Olam (work for the world) philanthropy program and 8th grade Capstone passion projects, creating a uniquely powerful Community Responsibility arc through the upper school years.

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Why social entrepreneurship? Hausner’s Community Responsibility Mission

From TK and Kindergarten all the way through 8th grade, Hausner students are encouraged and challenged to take part in tikkun olam, repairing the world. From first graders focused on helping animals in need, second graders raising money and collecting books to build libraries in Africa, and fourth graders assembling and delivering care packages to cancer patients, culminating in our upper school Community Responsibility arc, Hausner’s project-based learning combines academic skill-building with Jewish values to inspire our students to create positive change in their local and worldwide communities.

Grades 5-8 are particularly critical developmental years, when students shape their individual identities and develop the values, confidence, knowledge, and skills that will carry them successfully through high school and beyond.

How does the program work?

Leveraging a Proven Model. We are partnering with an expert educator, Henrik Scheel, founder of Startup Experience. Henrik, in collaboration with Hausner faculty and entrepreneurs in our Hausner community, will teach skills and habits of mind that are fundamental to social entrepreneurship, using the renowned Lean Startup methodology and framework.
Integrating Jewish Wisdom. We will integrate Jewish values, texts, and philosophical reflections to explore ethical perspectives and demonstrate inspiring Jewish models of entrepreneurship.
Building Over Time. Over the Spring Semester, the students will participate in a kickoff innovation bootcamp, followed by weekly sessions to advance their ideas (for 6th graders), or a social entrepreneurship elective (for 7th and 8th graders). Throughout the process, students will work in small teams to brainstorm social issues, generate ideas, workshop potential solutions, and perform market and competitor research. The program will culminate in a “demo day” where teams will present their social entrepreneurship projects.

Picture from the two-day Startup Experience Workshop

What do the students gain?

Upper school-aged students are capable of more than academic excellence. This immersive, experiential program empowers our students to both grow and develop as individuals, and make a positive impact on their community by:

Developing real-world problem-solving experience and engagement as they design and build their social enterprise.
Strengthening their leadership and teamwork skills as they tackle a project together.
Diving deep into learning and research around contemporary societal issues. Students may choose to focus on current issues including, but not limited to, poverty, climate, hunger, clean energy, mental health, gender equality and quality education.
Learning business fundamentals and vocabulary as they develop their social enterprise idea and test it in the community.
Refining their presentation skills as they share what inspired their social enterprise and why others should support it.
Exploring how they can leverage innovation to make a difference and how entrepreneurship is a Jewish endeavor.
Having fun while deepening connections with peers through meaningful teamwork.
Identifying their own strengths and allowing their unique qualities to shine throughout the collaborative process

How did this program originate and how is it funded?

The Entrepreneurship and Social Impact Program at Hausner is funded by a generous grant from the The Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund in collaboration with the Jim Joseph Foundation, as part of the Day School Growth Initiative Program. With support from the Federation, Jewish Day schools in our region have the opportunity to imagine and implement ways to enhance school growth, and to innovate and collaborate with one another. GHJDS is proud to participate in this program and to bring this pilot program to our upper school students.

Faculty workshop

Hausner Faculty, as well as faculty from Kehillah Jewish High School participated in a 2 hour workshop with Henrik Scheel, founder of Startup Experience, to learn about the philosophy behind Henrik’s startup method. Teachers experienced first-hand the process of “painstorming” to come up with problems that can ultimately be turned into opportunities, and created sample customer profiles and plans to help launch their “ventures.” This training will enable teachers to incorporate principles of design thinking and entrepreneurship into their classrooms throughout the school year.

We are grateful to the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund for their grant enabling the design and implementation of this program.

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