Investing in women’s education can transform communities. Constance Kane, executive director of the nonprofit Empowered to Educate, has witnessed it firsthand. Two years ago, the organization awarded 10 fellowships to women across Ghana, Africa. Those women have since impacted the lives of 54,000 people through their work in the education sector.
“What inspired us to start Empowered to Educate was our deep belief that global change happens by virtue of educated women,” Kane says, “and educated women come from educated girls.”
The nonprofit establishes pathways for women educators through a two-year fellowship program that provides leadership training, mentorship, global networking opportunities, and small stipends. Each fellow has their own grassroots program focused on a different topic area, such as early childhood development, inclusive education, literacy, and teenage pregnancy and motherhood.
“Our fellows are making a difference at the community level,” Kane says. “They’re leaders who are taking risks and making changes. It’s so hard to capture how exceptional the women are and how much of an impact they’re already making.”
Now that Empowered to Educate has completed its proof-of-concept phase in Ghana, the organization wants to effect change on a larger level. The team is implementing a five-year plan to scale globally, which includes expanding to at least two new countries, increasing the number of fellows from 10 to 60, and developing an alumni network.
To achieve these ambitious goals, Empowered to Educate needs the HBS Online Community’s help. HBS Online is proud to announce its partnership with Empowered to Educate for the fourth annual Community Challenge.
The Challenge
“We’re at a very critical point in our growth,” Kane says. “We’re hoping for a concrete set of recommendations that are helpful to use as a roadmap. It’s a growth package we’re looking for.”
To support Empowered to Educate’s growth, Community Chapters can develop a plan focused on one of three areas:
- Identify best practices in large-scale growth, including growth management, maintaining brand coherence, and ensuring cultural relevance in the targeted growth areas
- Conduct a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis for the growth process, emphasizing geographical opportunities for expansion
- Draft recommendations of potential methods to support this growth
Solutions must be cost-effective and actionable enough to be readily implemented by Empowered to Educate.
How to Get Involved in the Challenge
If you’re interested in helping Empowered to Educate scale and aren’t already part of one of HBS Online’s 34 Community Chapters, sign up for the Chapter closest to where you live. Once you’ve joined a Chapter, let your Chapter Organizer know you’re interested in participating in the Community Challenge. Organizers will be coordinating with their members to determine a time to meet virtually and brainstorm solutions.
Submissions are due by August 8, 2022. Please visit the Challenge details for more information on how to submit your solution.
HBS Online and Empowered to Educate will review the proposals and select up to five finalists who’ll have the chance to speak with Empowered to Educate board members and executives. The Chapter with the most viable, impactful solution will be chosen as the winner.
To gain inspiration from past winners, explore how:
- The New York City Chapter helped the Greater Boston Food Bank come closer to its goal of ending hunger in Greater Boston by 2028
- The Los Angeles Chapter teamed up with Sustainable Harvest International to fight climate change
- The Tokyo Chapter developed detailed strategies to support United Planet in scaling its Virtual Exchange program
“It’s hard to get the message out there about how moving it is to work with such exceptional women,” Kane says.
Now, the HBS Online Community has the opportunity to support these women as they transform their local communities—and the world.
If you want to make a difference while networking with like-minded business professionals, join the HBS Online Community today.