Winners were announced last Friday for “Leading Social Change,” a three week Intersession class taught by Dr. William Smedick, the Director of Leadership Programs and Assessment Initiatives for the Office of the Dean of Student Life. The class culminated in a business plan competition where grant money was awarded to the groups whose plans demonstrated new programs and services designed to improve Hopkins and its surrounding community.
The top four groups received grants, totalling $15,000, supplied by an alumnus donor. “[The grants were to help] start up their projects and work with staff and advisers who assist with the implementation of the plans,” Smedick said.
Winning projects included a plan to connect Hopkins students with Baltimore, a plan to create a non-academic space for students on campus, a plan to create a robotics club in Baltimore City public middle schools, along with an idea for a freshman scavenger hunt around Baltimore.
The class was a product of collaboration between Smedick, Jessica Madrigal, the Director of Summer Programs and Intersession and Scott Sherman, the President of a non-profit organization; Transform America. “This is the third Intersession that the class has been offered,” Smedick wrote in an email to The News-Letter.
In its first year, the course had a different title: Social and Political Activism, but was changed to better accommodate the way that Smedick wanted to teach the class. “[I wanted to focus on] social change with an emphasis on social entrepreneurship,” he said.
The aim of the class, as cited in the course description that appears on the syllabus was to: learn the principles, values and skills necessary to lead and succeed in organizations that make a positive difference in today’s world.
The course identified and provided opportunities to enhance the leadership skills of the students, and a “Blueprint for Success” provided the framework for students to cultivate their own ideas for socially conscious entrepreneurial ventures. Students heard from successful leaders in the current leaders in the field of social entrepreneurship and were provided with the opportunity to network with Hopkins alumni who are working or volunteering in the field.
“The students worked in teams after identifying problems that are associated with enhancing community at JHU and the neighborhoods surrounding campus,” Smedick wrote.
The students implemented the business model used by the non-profit grant providing “Echoing Green,” and were expected to learn skills associated with becoming successful agents for change using class time and then use those skills by working on projects and presentations outside of class.
“After daily lectures and exercises, students split into six teams to work on developing a sustainable project that will help the Homewood campus and Baltimore community,” Course Assistant senior Mohammad Modarres said. “[Other projects included an orientation program that] will help students better explore Baltimore city and making volunteering opportunities more accessible for students.”
Sophomore Bernie Hodkin, whose group also consisted of junior Alexandra Cohen, junior Victor Ekanem, junior Alexsa Grant and junior Melanie Monjean, worked on a three-phase project to integrate freshmen, exchange and transfer students into the Hopkins and Baltimore communities. “The plan that we have created aims to connect Hopkins kids with each other and to Baltimore City through a social and interactive learning environment,” Grant said. “Eventually, we will provide students an opportunity to solidify their roots in the community of Homewood campus.”
“The first phase is a Pre-Orientation program, called Charm City Connections, which would take place over three days. The trip would consist of field trips to various cultural and other sites as well as lectures from alumni,” Hodkin said. “The second phase is turning that Pre-Orientation experience into a mandatory class for all freshmen.”
Their plan also includes creating a classroom forum for teaching students about the history of Hopkins and Baltimore, and how the two relate. The third phase involves establishing an alumni network of the graduates of these programs. “[The program would be] called the Baltimore Connections Guild. Members receive pins, as well as access to vast networking opportunities,” Grant said.
“We are trying to ensure [in] students a sense of connection to their community on campus and we want to encourage participation in what will be a self-sustaining program,” Grant said. “The program will create an emotional investment in [Hopkins] for the students and will take students from every interest, personality and academic standing.”
This program is meant to give students an opportunity to connect to Hopkins as a strong community, as well as forge a connection with Baltimore City.
Sophomore Cara Kaplan’s group, including senior Jeremy Selbst, sophomore Antonia (Oona) Bernhardt and sophomore Amanda Ross, focused on creating a non-academic space for students. Kaplan’s group proposed moving the center of Hopkins from the MSE Library to Levering Hall, to act as a student union, until a more permanent one could be built. The plan is to make Levering Lounge into less of a study space, and more of a social atmosphere. “[This would allow students to] relax, maybe play a game of pool, watch some TV, etc,” Kaplan said.
Additionally, the group proposed that this would also be a central location for students to find out about what was going on around campus (leaving the breezeway less crowded.) “We are planning on turning one of the walls into a chalkboard wall, where student groups can essentially rent out space and advertise there,” Kaplan said. “Additionally, we plan to make the ‘bar area’ available for groups to either hand out flyers or possibly sell food as fundraisers.”
The space would also be able to be reserved by student groups, for activities such as a “Gilmore Girls Night,” or for fraternities to watch sporting events. “While these groups could reserve the room, it would still be open to other students to use and socialize in,” Kaplan said.
Kaplan’s group is considering collaborating with another project that proposed creating a calendar available to see different events going on in Baltimore. “[This would encourage students] to venture out of the ‘Hopkins bubble,” Kaplan said. It would also provide students with discounts and deals for special events.
Director of Mattin and Levering Hall Jane Rhyner is going to be an advisor to the group throughout the process, and the group is very excited to work with her in transforming the space. “We are sick of having a location that is set up in a way to socialize, but where, if you speak in more than a whisper, you get dirty looks,” Kaplan said.
“We plan on using the grant money to make some changes and additions, such as the chalkboard wall, installing TVs, some game tables, etc.,” she said. “No final decisions have been made, but we are very excited to have our concerns validated by the faculty and to work with them to try to enhance the Hopkins community.
“All ideas were great! I am really excited to see them come to life on campus,” Modarres said. “Students have already put in many hours of work and have a great foundation to work off of going into the semester.”
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