Voicing the Public Purposes of Higher Education
Georgian College’s Centre for Changemaking and Social Innovation
Georgian College has systematically embedded social innovation and changemaking into the curriculum, learning outcomes, and institutional priorities and strategic plans. Through the Centre for Changemaking and Social Innovation, educators and learners begin their changemaking journeys by identifying their changemaker pathway, then creating a changemaker profile, designing a changemaker avatar, and getting involved in a variety of ways. Learners can seek peer-led support to explore how to lead positive change, join changemaker in residency week to explore changemaking at Georgian College, and utilize a changemaker toolkit. Faculty/staff can join a Community of Practice focused on changemaking and participate in workshops. Finally, Georgian College learners, faculty, and staff can complete a Changemaker micro-certificate. Check out the Changemaker Micro-Certificate to learn more.
Campus as a Learning Lab
The University of Calgary has established Campus as a Learning Lab (CLL) focused on “experiential learning and fostering a campus culture rooted in sustainability” (University of Calgary, 2024, Campus as a Learning Lab section, para. 1). A few of the projects currently underway are Campus Community Closet, a student-led textile recycling program, class-led projects grounded in life cycle assessment comparisons (e.g., grid-sourced electricity vs. photovoltaic energy panels, biodegradable vs. stainless steel cutlery), and community-engaged learning projects. Check out CLL’s experiential learning projects to learn more.
Changemaker in the Curriculum
The Institute of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education at the University of Northampton embodies changemaker values as an institution and highlights case studies at their institution in their annual publication Changemaker in the Curriculum. Some of the initiatives bridge art education with social issues, work alongside local police officers to design learning tools, mental health or wellbeing initiatives, and using games to innovate education. Check out the article Changemaker in the Curriculum: Case Studies 2013-2014 to learn more.
Activity 5: Test Your Knowledge
Now that you’re familiar with the 17 UN SDGs, let’s test your knowledge! Connect the changemaking practice to the correct checkpoint(s) in the following 3 question quiz. To complete the quiz, choose the correct response(s), click the “check” button to check your answer, then use the blue arrow to advance to the next question. Repeat until all 3 questions are complete.
This activity is untimed, you may have as many attempts as you would like and your scores and/or attempts are not tracked.
