Overview

  • The Social Innovation Program, an intensive six week academic and experiential summer institute that prepares top undergraduate and recently graduated students chosen for roles as future social entrepreneurs. The program, which admitted Virginia students in its first five years, opened admission to a national applicant pool in 2011.
  • The Accelerating Social Entrepreneurship Conference, the fourth in a series of national convenings, will be held on November 10, 2011 on George Mason's Arlington campus. This year's theme is Accelerating Social Entrepreneurship in the Age of Austerity, keynoted by Mario Morino and featuring speakers and panelists in leadership roles across sectors.
  • AVAIL, a web-based tool developed in partnership with Learn and Serve America and technology developer TRUiST as a portal to more effectively match the nation’s 40 million university students and faculty with social change organizations in mutually beneficial partnerships around social entrepreneurship projects.
  • Social Innovation Professionals, a consulting firm comprised of center staff, Mason faculty and students able to provide social entrepreneurship-focused counsel to public, private, not-for-profit and academic institutions seeking to increase their positive social impact.
  • The Social Innovation Champion Awards, a program to recognize campus and community leaders whose research, outreach, or promising ideas represent the best of the social innovation movement.
  • Social Venture Consulting (SVC), a student organization that provides pro bono consulting services to nonprofits that serve the local and global community.
  • The Entrepreneur in Residence Program will welcome a leader to join in the Mason community’s study and pursuit of ground-breaking ideas for social impact.
  • The On Campus Speakers Series will bring prominent speakers from the social entrepreneurship field to campus every month during the academic year.

In its first year the Center will also build a research program that will be provide opportunities for faculty and students at all levels to explore issues and analysis critical to the advancement of the field.