February 2007


New and Improved BYU Social Venture and Innovation Competition

The BYU Social Innovation & Venture Competition’s entry date is getting closer. The deadline for submissions is 16 March 2007 and the final award ceremony is the beginning of April. In addition, an information and idea meeting is scheduled for 8 February 2007 in 3223 Wilkinson Student Center. Individuals will have the chance to exchange ideas, join teams, and learn how they can be involved in this year’s competition.   more

Single Mom Initiative Research Report Available Online

In September 2006, the Single Mom Initiative (SMI) conducted two focus groups and an initial online survey of single mothers. This was SMI's first opportunity to hear directly from single mothers, and it provided valuable insights into their top challenges, definitions of success, attitudes toward education, and a number of other topics. The SMI has recently made all the findings of the survey and focus groups available on the ESR Center web site.   more

2007 ESR Conference and Social Innovator of the Year Banquet

Reserve 8-9 November for attending this year's ESR Conference. As with the past few years, the conference will be held on a Thursday and Friday. The Social Innovator of the Year banquet will be held on 8 November. The conference continues to be a great opportunity to stay abreast of the latest issues in economic self-reliance as well as being a great venue for networking and connecting with other ESR practitioners, researchers, and sponsors.  more

Coalition for Single Mothers Established

One of the objectives of the Single Mom Initiative (SMI) is to build a network of people and organizations that care about single mothers. The SMI believes that by facilitating a network of practitioners, organizations will be able to learn from each other, share resources and ideas, improve practice, and possibly engage in collaborative action to support single mothers.  more

MicroFranchise Development Initiative Releases Freedom from Hunger Report

During 2006, The MicroFranchise Development Initiative (MFDI) consulted the non-profit organization Freedom From Hunger on establishing health microfranchises in Ghana. The purpose of the study was to identify the following:
  1. Ghana’s health needs
  2. Products currently available that address each health issue
  3. Current distribution channels and business systems
  more