Accelerating Social Transformation Certification Courses

Accelerating Social Transformation

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The AST 2018 program will help you discover and understand your core values, and then through lectures by experts, and site visits of innovative practices, we will provide you with new insights and knowledge to reignite empathy and purpose. Through reflection exercises using Appreciative Inquiry, Liberating Structures, and Design Thinking you will discover new opportunities and develop an action plan for your work to expand your effectiveness and impact.

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Convene, Connect, Create

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Reigniting Equity and Purpose

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AST 3 Day Institute

The Accelerating Social Transformation (AST) 3 day institute is a unique and immersive experience that brings together individuals and organizations that are futuristic thinkers and method-driven change makers to co-learn, connect and create human centered change.

During our three-and-a-half-day institute, you will:

• Think more broadly and deeply about the major challenges facing change-makers.
• Learn from leading thinkers and organizations how they perceive and adapt to transformational change.
• Create approaches to function much more effectively as you navigate the complex environment in which you operate.

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Learning Approach and Pedagogy

Our dynamic, interdisciplinary cohort will:

• Take a critical look at how think-tanks, experts and organizations are observing and projecting large-scale issues and how they innovate, take risks, and adapt to societal change.
• Participate in these critical conversations and apply learnings to help you grow as an effective agent of social transformation.

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Leadership and Facilitation

AST is curated and facilitated by Dr. Akhtar Badshah a seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience in international development. Akhtar managed Microsoft’s philanthropic program for a decade, and co-founded a global nonprofit for social enterprise. Badshah teaches at the University of Washington and has taught Architecture and Urban Development at MIT. He is a published author, and an acclaimed international speaker.

Contact: Akhtar Badshah at akhtarb@uw.edu

The Institute is offered through the University of Washington Bothell School of Business and the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, in partnership with the Catalytic Innovators Group. The Institute will also feature guidance from world class change-makers from the Seattle area who are having both local and global impact.

View Silicon Valley Faculty and Experts

View Seattle Faculty and Experts

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Learning Modules and Outcomes

A few weeks prior to the AST program, online presentations will set the context and introduce core concepts will be made available. Also a complete set of readings and resources will be available to participants upon registration. We will also work with you after the Institute over the next two months to help you finalize your action plan and follow you through the implementation.

You will:

• Understand how a new set of funders and funding instruments such as equity, debt and online, are creating new opportunities for social investments and mobilizing people.
• Explore the evolving intersection of technology, creativity and social impact.
• Determine impact, take risks and scale projects.
• Design innovative solutions combining technology and policy for maximum impact.
• Apply learnings to your specific project/program
• Co-create new approaches to accelerating social impact.
• Develop an enhanced appreciation of on the ground realities and understand linkages between innovation/policy/design and the value of quick prototyping.
• Appreciate the importance of communities, social fabric and the structure of belonging in creating a better future.
• Develop an high impact network of alumni to continue explorations and build future collaborations.

Spawning Salmon not Creating Whales – A New Paradigm for Accelerating Social Transformation, is a new approach to effectively reach scale developed by Akhtar Badshah and will form the central thesis of AST.

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The AST Experience

The AST Institute is designed to be a stimulating, eye-opening and thought-provoking experience that will help you return to work energized and inspired with fresh thinking and new tools to accelerate the social transformation of the projects you are working on. Those with vision, insight and understanding will create the next wave of innovation and progress to bring about positive change for the most vulnerable people in our society.

Are you a ASTer?...

ASTers are individuals committed to making a positive change in society and are open to absorb new ideas, willing to challenge conventional notions, and committed to being part of this ongoing community of social change leaders.

Why attend?

We are going through enormous changes in society and many of them have been driven by access to and development of technology. As a result, it is possible for one or few individuals to create change on scale that was previously inconceivable, or only a large organization or entity could undertake. This has given rise to a new set of funders who are looking to create a paradigm shift in how we design and implement social programs. Participants will discover new approaches to social development and learn how to combine innovative solutions with technology and policy for maximum impact.

Who should participate?

Accelerating Social Transformation is designed for mid-career professionals working in or contemplating a switch to the social development space. We invite you to be a part of this novel approach to professional development training and join a select group of participants from across the non-profit, foundation, development and business communities.

AST 17 had 30 participants from around the world attend. They represented, social entrepreneurs, foundations, corporate foundations, nonprofits, academia and government agencies. Our cohort had a varied degree of experiences including a former diplomat from El Salvador, to someone starting her career at a corporate foundation, to leading a nonprofit organization and everyone in between. Our cohort came from Australia, Barbados, Egypt, El Salvador and Greece. We also had participants from across the US.

We have an open selection process. ASTers are individuals committed to making a positive change in society and are open to absorb new ideas, willing to challenge conventional notions, and committed to being part of this ongoing community of social change leaders.

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AST Cohort & Inspired Projects

Pamela Kilborn-Miller is building a national campaign to strengthen our democracy for the 2018 & 2020 elections. As program director, she's currently partnering with PBS member station KCTS 9 and the UW DataLab on a pilot project to determine if quick, creative, and non-partisan Public Service Announcements (PSAs) can reduce the spread of fake news among eligible voters in the United States. If successful, "We the People PSAs" will be crowdsourced as part of a growing national media and academic partnership that currently includes the Society of Professional Journalists.

This campaign is a direct outcome of the AST program.

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AST Certificate of Social Innovation

Participants will receive a certificate on Social Innovation from the University of Washington and become part of a network of social innovators and receive ongoing online information.

The Institute is designed to be a stimulating, eye-opening and thought-provoking experience that will help you return to work energized and inspired with fresh thinking and new tools to accelerate the social transformation of the projects you are working on. Those with vision, insight and understanding will create the next wave of innovation and progress to bring about positive change for the most vulnerable people in our society.

 

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Testimonials

"As a mentor in the Accelerating Social Transformation professional course, I met an incredibly high caliber of passionate individuals. They are ready to take on more challenging roles or pursue new career avenues. Their participation in the course has given them new insights, exposed them to innovative techniques and prepared them to lead national or worldwide initiatives. Companies, institutions and leaders should be drawing talent from Accelerating Social Transformation immediately."

– Dana Manciagli, President, Job Search Master Class®, Global Career Expert

View More Testimonials

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Pacific Northwest + Silicon Valley = Social Innovation Lab

Ready for a new adventure? Come to Seattle or Silicon Valley and benefit from the rich social innovation network of the Pacific Northwest and Silicon Valley by participating in shared activities, networking opportunities and capacity-building exercises.

The Seattle Metropolitan Area and the Bay Area will serve as the classroom and campus for AST. Talks, visits and tours are held at our university, corporate and community partner venues.

Seattle

Our partners include:
The Gates Foundation - Global Good - Microsoft - Tableau - Vulcan - Seattle Foundation and other local innovative organizations

Silicon Valley

Our partners include:
Box - Chan Zuckerberg Initiative - IDEO - LinkedIn - Salesforce - Stanford University Center for Philanthropy and Civil Society - Tableau and other local innovative organizations

 

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Tuition and Deadlines | $2,500 USD

• Get $250 off your tuition with early bird registration. See Seattle and Silicon Valley program pages for registration deadlines.

• Fellowships for participants from the nonprofit community are available. For more information, contact akhtarb@uw.edu

Tuition covers the following:

• Programming
• Catered breakfast and lunch for all three days
• Evening receptions
• Professional Development Certificate of Social Innovation from the University of Washington

Tuition does not cover:

• Travel to or from Seattle or San Francisco
• Travel to and from the airport
• Hotel Accommodations
• Dinners during the Institute (unless where specified)
• Miscellaneous food and drinks

Learn more and register for Silicon Valley Session

Learn more and register for Seattle Session

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