"On God Imma Be Back": Design Thinking, Social Entrepreneurship, and African American High School Students' Attitudes Toward HBCUs

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 11:25 am
  In Roundtable Session: Culture, Learning, and Design (Table 3)

Abstract

In this case study, a one week summer enrichment program at a mid-sized HBCU incorporated the theoretical frameworks of design thinking and social entrepreneurship to guide high school students through learning coding skills, creating apps suitable for the marketplace, and interrogating their own beliefs about HBCUs and conceptions of success. As a result, along with increased interest in coding, participants in the program reported higher rates of desirability to apply and attend an HBCU to further pursue a STEM profession. This paper highlights design thinking and social entrepreneurship as powerful tools to drive HBCU enrollment and interest for Black high school students.

Author

• Amber Jones, Washington University in St. Louis