Purpose-driven Education: Social Entrepreneurship as a Pedagogical Tool for Student Success
Across the United States, systems of education are failing, and this dysfunction is characterized by both academic underachievement and overachievement. This research was an investigation of whether a purpose-driven curriculum contributed to student success in school and in life. This dissertation was intended to inform school systems about methods for creating purpose-driven, social entrepreneurship programs for high school students. This qualitative study showed that the Caritas Scholars Program and Social Entrepreneurship Lab at “the School” was effective in reorienting students’ views of success to include service to others, resulting in an overall sense of purpose in school and in life. The findings suggested purpose-driven methods that educators, educational leaders, and policymakers could use to empower students to enact lasting changes in their communities and world.
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