4Front, the local Jewish community’s comprehensive teen initiative, has announced a partnership between its Social Innovation Fellowship and Towson University.
One of 4Front’s signature programs, the fellowship is an immersive, hands-on entrepreneurship program encouraging Jewish teens to be community changemakers. Teens learn how to develop ideas for social startups based on Jewish values, visit local businesses and meet entrepreneurs.
The fellowship culminates in the annual “Demo Day” event, where teens pitch their ideas for a better community, showcasing their hard work and entrepreneurial growth.
After seven years of working with the California-based Startup Experience Inc., 4Front decided to localize the fellowship by partnering with a community curriculum partner to support the entrepreneurship content of the fellowship.
“We are very excited for this collaboration” said Diana Solomon, senior director of 4Front, which is managed by the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore. “This program teaches teens how they can use a popular field like business and entrepreneurship to make a positive impact in our community, motivated by their Jewish values. And to do that alongside an incredible partner like Towson University, we know it will add a great deal of credibility to this program and depth to the learning that can be continued as they move on to college.”
Jan Baum, a professor in Towson University’s Department of Management, will serve as a long-term collaborator with the fellowship.
“This year, along with our new curriculum partner, SIF is expanding significantly,” said 4Front engagement associate Isabel Lunken. “With more teens coming from across Baltimore, there is greater potential to create new meaningful connections for the fellows. [This month] the program will kick off with a dedicated afternoon of teambuilding, creativity and inspiration hosted at the Baltimore maker space, Open Works.
“Integrating these local touch points, from the Towson partnership to hosting in different innovative sites around Baltimore, will help teens see how social enterprise is making a difference in their own city,” she said.
Said Professor Baum: “I am passionate about innovation and entrepreneurship, educating people and making the world a better place. This is a perfect fit with 4Front’s SIF program. I am most excited about how this group of students will engage in social entrepreneurship.”
For information, visit 4Frontbaltimore.org
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