Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 55.42
Liaison Jen Jones
Submission Date Feb. 18, 2020

STARS v2.2

College of Charleston
IN-49: Innovation C

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.50 / 0.50
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Name or title of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
Impact X

A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome that outlines how credit criteria are met and any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation:
In September 2015, all 193 countries of the General Assembly adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of their 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The SDGs is a holistic framework for achieving sustainable development for all. Students lead change by forming startups that make a profit, while solving social and/or environmental problems as identified by the SDGs. Since its inception, Impact X has formed over 60 startup teams that have created innovative, for-profit solutions that improve people’s lives and the planet.

Impact X is classified as a sustainability focused course as part of the College’s quality enhancement plan (QEP), “Sustainability Literacy as a Bridge to Addressing 21st century problems.” Adopting the United Nations framework of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Impact X students address two specific sustainability focused Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs):

(SLO 1) Identify various elements of sustainability and relationships between them
(SLO 6) Design a solution to a given sustainability problem.

The formation of sustainable startups guided by the SDGs is supported by a team of mentors, guest speakers and our Social and Environmental Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Stuart M. Williams. Impact X students pitch on Demo Day for up to $10,000 to help fund their sustainable startups that "make a profit, while making a difference."

Housed in the School of Business' Center for Entrepreneurship and a collaboration with the Office of Economic Development, Impact X provides learning experiences for business, computer science and liberal arts students to engage in technology-focused entrepreneurship using lean-startup methodology and the Scrum framework.

The program's mission is to provide an experiential and transformational learning opportunity for students that are eager to engage in technological, entrepreneurial and creative activities.

All student teams in the Impact X program create startups that adopt a for-business model, while also making a difference. Teams include one business major, one computer science major and one liberal arts major. Previous winning projects include a community discussion mobile app, a socially responsible investment mobile app, and an app that aims to bring transparency into the real estate industry by addressing climate change.

Optional Fields

A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise or a press release or publication featuring the innovation :
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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