Reflection 1 – Workshop on social innovation
The Masterclass on Social Innovation and Crowdfunding was an online workshop focused on educating students to become young change-makers and teaching them ways to have a social impact through innovation. The workshop was divided into a 2-day briefing about social crowdfunding and innovations by Harvard Alumni and Industry experts followed by a 20-day project. The project included a live crowdfunding event to help deliver Suraksha Boxes to the underprivileged, all driven and completed by the students. My main goal behind taking part was to learn a new set of skills in a different field of interest and use them to help complete the live project successfully.
LO 1: The workshop helped me identify my strengths and develop my weaknesses. Attending the workshop helped me realize the importance of communication skills in making one’s crowdfunding successful. With the help of the supervisors, I was able to develop my communication skills. After the workshop, I became more persuasive and informative in order to convey the message in a crisp manner.
LO 2: The main challenge I faced during the workshop was the completion of the project. On the 2 day workshop, I learned all about crowdfunding, however, the application of knowledge within the first week was challenging for me. Apart from being a completely new concept for me, time constraint was also adding to the challenges. However, with the help of the advisors and some additional research, I was able to complete my project.
LO 3: The final project for the workshop was for 20 days. Commitment towards the project was a crucial part of successfully completing it. It was not hard to check up on the status of the project daily and make changes accordingly, however, balancing academics alongside was a little hindrance.
LO 6: The project was related to the distribution of Suraksha Boxes to underprivileged families and communities. The project was directly connected with the global issue, COVID-19 pandemic, and health concerns. After learning about the need for the boxes in order to maintain hygiene and safety for those who have been in contact with people, I realized the importance of the issue and understood the grounds of problem-solving.
LO 7: Underprivileged families often cannot afford safety products during the time of the pandemic. Thus it is important to donate and gather funds in order to provide them with Suraksha boxes. The feeling of completing the project in order to help provide these boxes made me feel really proud and kept me motivated throughout the project.
The journey catered to a few of the learner profiles including reflective, risk-taker, caring, inquirer, and communicator. The workshop benefited the families and communities that were gonna be provided with the boxes. I think I did achieve success as I was able to fulfill all my expectations, complete the ultimate goals, and learn new skills that I might use in the future too.
