I-Corps L: Scaling the University Innovation Fellows Program to Catalyze Student Engagement and Change in Higher Education

Stanford University, Stanford CA

Investigators

Abstract

Through the NSF Innovation Corps for Learning Program (I-Corps L), this project will develop ways to increase the scale and impact of University Innovation Fellows (UIF) program at Stanford University. In higher education, there is widespread interest in developing ways to provide students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes that they need to solve complex problems of the 21st century. The University Innovation Fellows program prepares and empowers university students to make lasting changes at their schools to address this issue. Through UIF, student leaders collaborate with faculty and administrators to promote and embed innovation, entrepreneurship and design thinking to enhance the educational experience of all students. While there is no single prescription for which strategies and activities will be effective in higher education, each institution can develop context-appropriate strategies based on understanding best practices, information about what has worked and not worked in similar institutions, and innovative thinking. The University Innovation Fellows (UIF) program offers faculty a way to activate selected students to work alongside them in expanding the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem on campus. The program combines online experiential training with in-person gatherings in Silicon Valley. In the training, university students evaluate the landscape of learning opportunities and resources at their schools, and design a strategic plan to transform and enrich that landscape, by leveraging experiential learning techniques. Students who successfully complete the training (and become Fellows) are motivated and prepared to work alongside faculty as change agents. This program will provide year-round support for the Fellows via webinars and networking tools that allow students to share strategies across institutions.