Conscious Social Change is the intersection of leadership, citizenship and social entrepreneurship.

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u-Academy for Conscious Change

Global Grassroots has adapted its core curriculum to create an experiential education program for high school and university students, providing the skills to advance social change via a transformational paradigm from idea conception through implementation. The program incorporates three components: conscious leadership practices, social entrepreneurship tools, and conscious change methodologies.

Global Grassroots delivered its first uAcademy at Dartmouth College in Fall 2012. Over the course of 8 weeks, 30 students, mostly juniors and seniors, were invited to participate in the social venture incubator that was led by Global Grassroots’ founder and President, Gretchen Wallace. Dartmouth's uAcademy on-campus fall term program is followed by a 10-12 day international exchange in Monrovia, Liberia where uAcademy students collaborate with Global Grassroots eAcademy change agents in Liberia in a program of shared learning, problem-solving and social idea design work.

In 2013, Global Grassroots expanded its uAcademy program to the University of Virginia with a 3 credit, 2-week January Term intensive and a 5-day summer intensive that prepares students embarking upon summer international service learning projects to incorporate a conscious approach to social change, integrate participatory methods of engagement with local communities and utilize Global Grassroots' social entrepreneurship tools in collaborative problem-solving.

The uAcademy can be offered to students in several formats, including:

  • Half-day workshops on conscious social change
  • Weekend retreats and simulators on conscious social change
  • A 5-day intensive, applied tools program for service learning
  • A 10-day intensive social venture incubator for the development of conscious social change projects and organizations
  • Other customized programs

If you are interested in bringing Global Grassroots Founder Gretchen Wallace and the uAcademy to your campus, email us at: info@globalgrassroots.org.

Students for Education Equality in China

Students for Education Equality in China (SEEC) was developed by Dartmouth graduates of Global Grassroots' uAcademy. The program aims to bridge the education gap between children of migrant workers and those with permanent residency in urban areas of China through an elearning English language training program that links Dartmouth students with students and teachers at those impoverished schools. Partnering with the Dandelion School outside of Beijing, SEEC has established its initial curriculum, has engaged ten student volunteers and five core staff members who have begun leading regular workshops with the primary school teachers via a local version of Skype. By offering Chinese students more opportunities to learn English, SEEC believes they will be more likely to attain a higher education. By giving Dartmouth students opportunities to volunteer among underdeveloped rural communities in China, they will be inspired to support education equality in China.


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