Miami Dade College has been designated as an Ashoka U Changemaker Campus for being a leader in social innovation education and is the first and only public institution of higher education in the Southeastern United States, joining the world’s largest network of universities focused on social innovation education - the Ashoka U Changemaker Campus network.
Building on Ashoka’s vision for a world where Everyone is a Changemaker, Ashoka U takes an institutional change approach to impact the education of millions of students, including the 165,000 at MDC.
“We are humbled to receive this distinction from such a renowned organization and it affirms the diligent work we have been doing for so many years to provide our students the comprehensive tools for lifelong success and to serve as catalysts for change in our community,” said José A. Vicente, president of the Wolfson Campus at MDC and Ashoka Institutional Champion. “We take the responsibility of being ‘changemakers’ very seriously and look forward to reporting on our progress.”
As an Ashoka U Changemaker Campus, MDC will advance educational pathways that develop interdisciplinary, entrepreneurial and solutions-oriented skills for students. It will launch a college-wide initiative to infuse social innovation into the fabric of the college and create a defined path for all students to become changemakers.
MDC’s Changemaker Campus plan has three key objectives: (1) provide an applied learning environment that will allow students to find their passion while giving meaning to their education; (2) equip students with changemaking skills that are highly valued workforce readiness skills; and (3) design a mechanism to measure impact and success of MDC changemakers.
This summer, the College launched the “It Takes One” campaign to empower and challenge students, faculty, staff and other members of the community to become changemakers. Campaign activities and events will be announced at various MDC campuses.
Ashoka U is regarded for catalyzing social innovation in higher education through a global network of entrepreneurial students, faculty, administrators, staff, and community leaders. Ashoka U Changemaker Campuses include Brown, Cornell, Duke, Fordham, George Mason, Johns Hopkins, Middlebury, and Tulane, among other top institutions worldwide.
- submitted by Miami Dade College