The World Needs More Social Entrepreneurs

Given all the problems our world faces — in teaching, technology, health care, or finance — we need many more social entrepreneurs and change makers. Progress against these problems will be intolerably slow if only 3% to 5% of world’s population thinks they can solve them.

We need to teach our youth that they can help people; that they can lead; that they can make lasting and important change in their communities and across the globe. Society, employers, educators, and parents need to recognize that our kids’ successful personal and social development must start with a mastery of several complex skills — empathy, teamwork, leadership, and change making.

Any city or country that doesn’t help its youth master these basic skills is finished, its companies and institutions disadvantaged. Education can no longer be solely about information transfer. The three R’s are useful, but they’re not the foundation for success in this new world, where change is accelerating exponentially.

In particular, all young children must grasp and practice empathy, critical for understanding how not to hurt others and how to contribute effectively when the rules of a changing society are not so obvious. And children and young adults (ages 12 to 20) must master the full complement of skills listed above. Without those skills, they will not be able to survive in a world where teams are replacing hierarchies, and where only those who can contribute to teams’ change efforts will be valued.

We have worked with more than 500 young change makers through our Youth Venture program. Here are some of the patterns we are seeing:

Anyone who has this confidence, who can enjoy working with others to solve problems and open new opportunities, will be a motivated learner every day.

These three, all Ashoka Youth Venturers, had a dream, built and ran a team, and left their world changed. They typically bring 25 young people onto their teams; five such teams can easily tip the culture of a school.

All three know they are powerful. They have mastered the skills that will allow them to change the world for the better, time and time again. No one can ever take that away from them.

Charlotte, Becca, and Shankar will be hugely successful contributors in life. What about the young people you love? Will they? If they were failing at math, you would notice. Will you pay similar attention to their change making skills.

Bill Drayton is the founder, chairman and CEO of Ashoka: Innovators for the Public. Since 1980, Ashoka has helped social entrepreneurs develop, share, and scale their ideas.

The World Needs More Social Entrepreneurs

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