Recently, we spoke with some of our incredible teen participants to hear about their experiences in the Social Innovation Fellowship. Jonah “Sizzle” G., a 10th grader at Boys Latin and Social Innovation Fellow, and Emma M., a 12th grader at Baltimore City College and Social Innovation Fellow shared and this is what they had to say.
How would you describe your overall experience at the bootcamp?
Jonah: I had a phenomenal time at bootcamp. I met people that I can see being my friends for the rest of my life. I had a blast!
Emma: The day-long bootcamp was invaluable. I got the opportunity to foster connections with people outside of my social circle and build henceforth a team that could address a social justice issue.
What did you learn about entrepreneurship and design thinking during the bootcamp?
Jonah: I was somewhat familiar with entrepreneurship at the start, but utilizing a think tank was very beneficial. Hearing other opinions helped me shape my thinking.
Emma: The bootcamp introduced me to the worth of developing the problem rather than rushing to a solution. Through this, the solution is more concise and efficient in addressing the root of the problem.
Was there a particular moment or activity that helped you better understand the importance of empathizing with end users?
Jonah: World Building Game
Emma: Because I identify with the social justice issue we are addressing, conducting mock interviews with my partners allowed me to obtain an “outsider’s“ perspective and compare it to my individual experiences. I then was able to evaluate the importance of empathizing with end users, because, although you will never experience exactly what they do, you can try your best to develop a solution as appropriate as possible.
What was the most challenging part of the bootcamp for you, and how did you overcome it?
Jonah: Hearing critiques about our idea, but that helped us jump over our obstacle we were facing.
Emma: The most challenging part of bootcamp was definitely navigating through possible solutions. My group had thought about a networking program, website, and even an in-school system, that all kind of contradicted each other. Instead of viewing each as its own individual solution, we combined all into one larger idea.
What excites you most about continuing with the Social Innovation Fellows program?
Jonah: Getting to know my fellow Jewish colleagues better.
Emma: I’m most excited about bringing my ideas to life and seeing them work in real-time.
For more information about our teen programs, please visit Teen Programs | 4Front Baltimore
