ITE College Central, Social Entrepreneurship Programme

What I Did.

As a group leader at the Social Impact Catalyst's social entrepreneurship programme, we started a difficult journey of solving community-based problems. During this entire experience, every Saturday I attended interesting Zoom sessions where we learned about the principles of social entrepreneurship and how to create businesses to help disadvantaged communities. This fits precisely in line with my steadfast belief that social entrepreneurship is the ultimate tool for bringing about positive change.

I met many entrepreneurs from Cargill, Boxgreen, and other experienced organizations during this programme. Their experience helped me a lot. What they said made it clear to me that sustainability is essential in social entrepreneurship. I will remember what they taught. Even when the team members had to drop off due to other commitments, my team remained quite focused on the issue of plastic waste. My team and I innovatively explored creating 3D printing filament from recycled materials to promote sustainability and save the environment. On the presentation day, we successfully conveyed the idea and the intention of the project and got third position. Our success clearly shows that with teamwork, innovation, and thinking out of the box, we can achieve anything, and we did just that.

What I Learned.

This programme expanded my knowledge about social entrepreneurship, and how it can bring lasting change within communities. I learned to recognize pressing social problems and design feasible, sustainable solutions that will meet community needs. Working with industry professionals taught me a lot about the opportunities and challenges that companies are facing, as well as the importance of sustainability to companies.

Leading my team has taught me to adapt and communicate well, particularly when faced with unwelcome surprises. I learned vital project management and teamwork and problem-solving skills, which helped ensure that our project did not fall off track. The amazing feedback I received during our presentation showed me how important teamwork and thinking outside of the box are in overcoming challenges.

Goals for Continued Learning.

In the future, I intend to develop my skills in social entrepreneurship and community engagement by applying my knowledge in real environments soon. I will join workshops on sustainable business, social innovation, and effective leadership to enhance my knowledge and remain up to date with industry trends.

In addition, I want to get involved in local community projects that tackle environmental and social issues, as this will enable me to gain real-world experience while also positively impacting the world. Also, I want to network with professionals and mentors in social entrepreneurship to help guide my process as I continue further on this journey. This journey has deepened my commitment for inspiring change through social entrepreneurship. I hope to apply the learnings of this programme for my future endeavors.