Where Pedagogy and Social Innovation Meet: Assessing the Impact of Experiential Education in the Third Sector

The Vancouver Island Social Innovation Zone (VISIZ) is an innovative collaboration between higher education institutions and community organisations in the Vancouver Island region. The Social Innovation Cohort is a pilot initiative of VISIZ, matching selected social innovation initiatives and social enterprises with financial support, as well as a partially funded full-time co-op student between January-April 2016. During this time, students engage in workshops and education, and have an opportunity to learn together through their paid work experiences in local social innovation initiatives and social enterprises. The goal is to provide valuable learning experiences, apply “classroom‐based” knowledge to the real world, and add capacity to local initiatives. The overall goal is to strengthen and support Vancouver-Island research that connects students and researchers to communities and build a strong eco-system for impact business and social enterprise on Vancouver Island. The findings explore impact in the following specific areas: (a) The extent of student impact through the cohort pilot model including new knowledge, and applied skills in social innovation and social enterprise, and (b) The extent of social change and increased capacity in the community including the tangible outcomes as a result of the collaborations with students and post-secondary institutions. The findings from this evaluation can help inform curriculum development and learning competencies supporting student engaged learning in social innovation. The results will also inform at a systems-level, including variable such as structure, governance and relationships between institutions and community organisations including the match of social innovation needs to relevant supports, assets and challenges in identifying and mobilising these assets