UPShift Social Innovation Training – Week 1

Cohort 1

Cohort 1 of the Upshift Training Program held its second session today. The goal of this lecture was to teach students about social innovation, which is a method for creating answers to societal challenges.

Miss Oreo, the trainer, began the session by defining social innovation as the creation and implementation of innovative solutions to societal challenges. She stated that it entailed working on a solution, developing new things in society, and working as a group to reach a consensus on how to solve problems. She allowed the participants to identify their strengths, limitations, talents, and capacities by filling out questionnaires to understand how they can collaborate. 

She also highlighted why each student should concentrate on their strengths. Students were encouraged to ponder over the forms before filling them out at home. Miss Oreo then showed the kids how to submit homework via “Google Classroom” and “Kahoot.” To acquaint them with Kahoot, they played a short game.

Miss Oreo handed them four assignments for the weekend at the end of class. Three of the assignments were for students’ practice, and the last assignment was required to be submitted before departure.

Participants were eager to learn and learn more throughout today’s session, which was interesting and interactive.

COHORT 2

Cohort 1 of the Upshift Training Program had their first lesson today. The goal of this lesson was to teach students about social innovation, which is a method for developing solutions to societal problems.

Participants were provided with delectable treats from Petite Dejeuner before the start of today’s program to help them relax. Mr. Jerry Aidoo, the trainer, began the lesson by defining social innovation as creating and implementing new solutions to societal problems. He explained that it entailed working on a solution, creating new things in society, and working as a group to reach a consensus on how to solve problems. He also mentioned empathy and knowing one’s own strengths and weaknesses as characteristics of a social innovator.

Students were also given books and pens to make it easier for them to take notes. Students continued the session by watching videos, mostly from Africa, about how social innovators have impacted their communities. In one video, a Ghanaian man was able to convert refuse into cement for house construction. Most aspects of the videos piqued the students’ interest, and they paid close attention to them. Mr. Jerry posed questions, and each student was required to respond. Later, the students were required to fill out a ‘my personality’ form, which they were then required to paste on the wall. This was to be a guide for how the training would alter their personalities as social innovators. 

As the lesson came to a close, students were invited to describe one personality attribute about one another before departing for their separate homes and destinations.

On August 6th, the participants of the upshift training program had their first soft skills session. The session focused on how self-acceptance and confidence are necessary traits to become a good social innovator. This training was facilitated by the Career Development Advisor of Soronko Academy, Ms. Josephine Offei.

The session started with Mrs. Josephine explaining self-acceptance as the awareness of your strengths and weaknesses and embracing yourself for who you are. She then divided the class into groups and told them to pay attention to some video games. Each group was given roles based on the video. The first video to be played was about self-acceptance, which involved words of encouragement about accepting your flaws and breaking insecurities and barriers.

The session continued with detailed explanations of confidence and self-esteem. Students were asked questions about words that are most likely to bring their self-esteem down, to which many gave answers. Again, students were taught ways of building their confidence, which included thinking positively, presenting themselves with confidence, and giving genuine compliments to others. She emphasized that they should be kind to themselves, be willing to try again anytime they experience failure, and also talk to someone about their problems.

At the end of the class, Miss Josephine encouraged everyone to practice these to develop great confidence, which would go a long way to help in all aspects of life. The students played a puzzle game based on what they had learned, after which the class ended.