Applications open for Stellenbosch social innovation winter school
The second Stellenbosch Social Innovation Winter School is taking place from 15 to 19 July 2024, hosted by Stellenbosch-based non-profit company, Ranyaka Community Transformation, in collaboration with Stellenbosch Network and the Sustainability Institute.
Applications are open for innovators both locally as well as from across South Africa who have ideas to solve a societal problem that either impacts them, or that they are passionate about. The Winter School would also benefit students interested in exploring Social Innovation as a career option as it puts the building blocks in place to start one’s own social venture.
The highly interactive five-day course is taking place at the Sustainability Institute in Lynedoch, Stellenbosch and will cover topics such as understanding social problems and their root causes, identifying opportunities for innovation, design thinking and human-centered idea generation, business models for social innovation, scaling social innovations, and measuring impact.
“Too often, those directly affected by societal challenges are excluded from the solutions design process,” says Marli Goussard, Ranyaka Social Impact Strategist. Stellenbosch and other communities are grappling with issues such as crime, lack of infrastructure, youth unemployment, mental health, unclear career paths, access to affordable energy sources, and the need for climate resilience in vulnerable areas.
“To address these issues, it is crucial for academia, impact investors, and vulnerable communities to collaborate and collectively brainstorm innovative solutions. By leveraging academic expertise and the lived experiences of community members, we can co-develop effective strategies for positive change, resulting in co-owned social ventures, benefiting vulnerable communities both socially and economically,” says Goussard.
We invite non-profits, members from our vulnerable communities, students or any social entrepreneur to sign up for this life changing experience. The cost of the course is R1500 (includes course materials only) and R900 for students with a valid student number. For more information, contact Marli at marli@ranyaka.co.za or on tel 084 212 2000. To sign up, use the following link: bit.ly/siwinterschool24
