Students Consult with Maryland Social Entrepreneur Corps

Ying Chen, Smith MBA Candidate 2016, writes about the Third Annual Maryland Social Entrepreneur Corps (MSEC) Forum on Oct. 20, 2015, at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business

Many of us, including yours truly, used a study abroad opportunity as an extended European holiday, learning the intricacies of artisanal food and wine while touring through charming Old World backdrops. Not so with the record 27 students in this year’s Maryland Social Entrepreneur Corps (MSEC), who spent their summers helping to empower local communities across Nicaragua, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. For many, it was a transformative experience, an opportunity to deeply impact communities across economic and cultural differences. The forum was an opportunity for all of them to come together with donors, faculty, and their families and friends to showcase their experiences abroad.

Drawn from a variety of backgrounds, each MSEC student has the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to understand, educate and develop solutions to social problems in their host countries. Each student begins the nine-credit program with classes in the spring, learning the key skills and context for their travels and work ahead. After that, they’re off to spend two months abroad over the summer on their projects, working closely with each other and the local communities. When they return in the fall, they must complete a follow-up course to reflect and learn from the valuable insights they took away from this unique experience.

One major aspect of the work was grassroots consulting – getting to understand the needs and barriers that rural small businesses, cooperatives, and indigenous groups face as they work to lift themselves and their families up the economic ladder. The Ecuador group experienced this first-hand, helping to research and deliver marketing, awareness, and logistical solutions for an agricultural cooperative and their distribution and pricing activities.

Another area of focus was for the students was researching and implementing social innovation models, which build capacity in local communities by empowering local entrepreneurs to deliver valuable community services after the students have left. The Nicaragua team helped to train these local entrepreneurs on diagnosing eye correction using SV-1, a portable, iPhone-enabled device to diagnose visual impairment and determine the right corrective lenses. The team was then able to distribute inexpensive glasses who were finally able to see well for the first time.

Participants, reflecting on their summers, highlight the critical life skills learned while dealing with ambiguity, cultivating cross-cultural empathy, and an appreciation for the hard work and complexity that goes into community development and social impact. Everyone could point to moments of uniquely rich cross-cultural exchange and learnings from this experience, of a summer in the Maryland Social Entrepreneur Corps.    

Find out more about the Maryland Social Entrepreneur Corps.

Read more about Smith’s Study Abroad Program in this blog.