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Agenda

1:00 - 1:15	Check-in, Opening + Norms Reiteration
1:15 - 1:30	Motivations in Social Impact
1:30 - 2:20	Discussion on Readings
2:30 - 2:45	Reflection and Awareness Building
2:45 - 2:55	Questions + Prep for Next Week
2:55 - 3:00	Closing

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Check-in

Share your name with the group.

What’s one word that reflects how you’re entering into this space?

TAKE A DEEP BREATH BEFORE YOUR 1-MINUTE INTRODUCTION

HABIT BUILDING

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Opening

This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,

some momentary awareness comes

as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,

who violently sweep your house

empty of its furniture,

still, treat each guest honorably.

THE GUEST HOUSE BY RUMI

He may be clearing you out

for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,

meet them at the door laughing,

and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,

because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond.

HABIT BUILDING

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Our collective norms for creating

a brave space

Treat everyone with respect and kindness; assume best intent
What is said here, stays here (take lessons, but leave stories)
Be present and actively listen to understand (eliminate distractions like tech)
You may call into question an idea, but not a person (debates not arguments)
Every experience is valuable; Use “I” statements
Step up, step back (be aware of the space you may take up or not)
Call in(to discussion), not call out (to create shame)
Come prepared and engaged (quality over quantity)
Respect and honor silence
Respect boundaries (and make clear when there is one)

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Motivations +

Impact Organization

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Reflections

What anchors my interest in social impact?

Select a social impact organization to focus on. What drew you to select that organization?

What came up for you when you reflected on your motivations?

What came up as you selected your organizations and shared them with your partner(s)

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Motivations

What themes are coming up?
Where is/ was there discomfort?

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The problem of inequality and environmental degradation

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Introduction

Meghan Chapple

she/her/hers

Vice President of Sustainability,

Georgetown University

Sustainability Expert Working at Intersection of Social Justice and Environmental Issues

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Where we’re focusing

LEVERS FOR CHANGE

We begin by looking at how social change works, dissecting macro concepts and understanding the important roles that work together and keep opposing balance in the larger impact ecosystem. We will look at inequality and environmental degradation and how we got here as an anchor for why we focus on social impact. We pay particular attention to the time horizon of change, how actors can interact, and incentives of each actor.

PROBLEMS BY DESIGN

We will then move into the realm of philosophy and personal reflection, understanding human nature and explore these problems as intentional and designed. We will discuss the role that institutions have played around systemic oppression through the use of power and privilege of a few that has contributed to these problems. Yet, we are not immune to examination and will turn the spotlight to ourselves, understanding our own identities and how they may show up in how we even approach our role in the impact space.

SECTORAL DISTINCTIONS

Next, we will move into the practical realm, dissecting roles in each sector as well as the incentives that drive each sector and how they interact with each other. We will better understand the interaction points as well as the aggregate effect that organizations may have on the world both positive and negative (like creating more jobs for people and paying taxes), and some negative (like polluting local rivers and exploiting local workers).

OUR CHOICES

Lastly, we will turn inward and better understand the agency we have to create social impact including the role of individual well being connected to broader social impact as well as our ability to create boundaries and a ruleset to guide our own decision-making through a “gut check.” The course will culminate in a personal manifesto that will guide our social impact consciousness.

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How do our motivations connect to understanding the problems?

Why is it important to discuss

the problems?

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Why is it important to discuss

the problems?

Social problems are complex, interconnected, contextual, and even generational/ stemmed in history
We fall into the trap of being overly focused on solutions
We may not fully understand how to solve the problem
Problems center the people experiencing the problem

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Discussion

What are some of your takeaways from the readings?
What stood out for you?
How were those readings related?

INDIVIDUAL REFLECTION + DISCUSSION

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Problems are “designed”

Whether intentional or unintentional, problems are created (therefore, we have some agency to effect change on them)
Problems may lurk beneath the surface and have context and history, thus our solutions must take these into account
How we solve these problems therefore takes a lot of different aspects

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Glass is half full

Source: Instagram 2010

Meghan Chapple, VP of Sustainability,

Georgetown University

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Truth, courage, love

Meghan Chapple, VP of Sustainability,

Georgetown University

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Sustainability Planning at Georgetown

The Office of Sustainability is developing the university’s first sustainability plan.

The objective is to create a shared vision for sustainability at Georgetown, develop goals and targets for measuring our progress, and identify pathways for achieving those goals.

This plan include priorities for the university’s Laudato Si’Action Plan, and will shape the future of sustainability at Georgetown for the next decade.

Meghan Chapple, VP of Sustainability,

Georgetown University

Students meet at the launch of the planning process in March 2022. More than 75 people from across the community participated in the kick-off meetings.

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Scope of Georgetown Sustainability Plan

Meghan Chapple, VP of Sustainability,

Georgetown University

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Theory of change: Sustainability Planning

An inclusive process creates a shared vision. A shared vision provides a positive focus to work towards together.

A transparent process builds trust. Change is easier when there is trust between stakeholders, trust in leadership, and trust in the shared vision.

Meghan Chapple, VP of Sustainability,

Georgetown University

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Internal dialogue for a change agent:

truth, courage, truth, love

Truth: What do you feel?

Courage: How do you feel?

Truth: What are your observations?

Love: What power do you have?

Meghan Chapple, VP of Sustainability,

Georgetown University

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Reflections + Application

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What’s the application?

How do you actually weigh the myriad of problems that may come up?
What’s your personal orientation - toward understanding the problem or solution?
How might this conversation inform how you approach doing social impact?

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Preparing for Next Week

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Next Week

We will explore the question of how social change happens through the lens of social movements, as well as what actors are involved to make it happen

READINGS

YouTube | How Does Social Change Happen?
YouTube | A Theory of Social Change
RSA | Releasing energy for change in our communities

INDIVIDUAL REFLECTION

What’s the dynamic between the individual, the community, the organization, and the institution/ system in positively affecting social change?

STUDIO ASSIGNMENT (IN CLASS TO START)

Share your selected organization’s mission statement. Where do you think this organization falls within this social change trajectory?

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Think about…

OPEN SOURCE

What are 1-2 constructive aspects you’d contribute to this module (e.g., what are additional resources you’d add, what could be clearer, what was a highlight “must-do-again”?

GROUPS A WILL COLLATE FEEDBACK AND LEAD US THROUGH A BRIEF EXERCISE IN 2 WEEKS TO MAKE WEBSITE EDITS

LOGISTICS/ OPEN QUESTIONS:

Does everyone have access to GDrive?
GClassrooms
Google Sites to build websites before?
Any other questions?

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Closing

What’s one…

takeaway or

action or

commitment

that you’re leaving with today

TAKE A DEEP BREATH BEFORE YOUR 1-MINUTE REFLECTION

HABIT BUILDING

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Appendix

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Pair Share

PAIR ASSIGNMENTS

#	Pair 1	Pair 2	Pair 3
A	Trisha Baptista	Madisyn Clark	Margaret Wu
B	Malik Clinton	Donald Roveto	N/A
C	Nyasha Gandawa	Baptiste Louat	N/A
D	Julianne Meneses	Caio Vieira	N/A
E	Quentin Bazar	Jason Wu	N/A

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Website Groups

WEBSITE GROUPS

Module	Groups (from above)
Levers for Change	A
Problems of Design	B
Sectoral Distinctions	E
Our Choices	F