A Community of Seekers & Innovators | by Bronwen Mayer Henry

Recently, two of our staff members had the opportunity to complete an 8-month Executive Certificate in Social Impact Strategy from the Center for Social Impact Strategy at the University of Pennsylvania. Read on for more about the experience Bronwen (our Director of Curricular Innovation) had in the program, and about the new upcoming certificate in Faith and Social Impact. 

I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect when I enrolled in the Penn Social Impact Strategy certificate program. I was drawn to the program right away as a space in which I could get the structured support I needed to map a new professional effort. Many of the excellent aspects of the program did not surprise me - for example, top quality teaching instruction and accessible, flexible, and engaging content. But I also wanted to share some of the great things I wasn’t expecting:

Nurturing Environment

What I wasn’t expecting was the nurturing environment that held the program. I discovered a community of support in fellow students as well as  tremendous encouragement and care from the teaching team for the whole person. There were accommodations for the difficulties of life (in general and in this year in particular). Each of the synchronistic sessions started with a grounding moment, which provided a chance to reflect and get centered. 

Flexibility

This program was flexible to the demands of my schedule (hello, remote learning in pandemic). With kids and parents needing my attention, I was able to respond to the needs of my family and the demands of this course. One week when I was travelling with family, I downloaded the coursework and listened to all the lectures during a long road trip. 

Immediately Applicable

The curriculum is concrete and immediately applicable. What was in an assignment one week, showed up in our own team meetings at Interfaith Philadelphia the next week. The assignments had me thinking and preparing on the very same questions coming from stakeholders. Though at times the workload stretched my capacity, it also provided incredible structure to the efforts where I was already working, so in some ways it saved me time.

Momentum

There was a sense of movement and momentum. The team kept us moving through the content. In places where I would get stuck on my own, the support of fellow students and guidance from the teaching team helped. The tools provided were essential to help me take a new idea and map it out.

Meeting New People

It was wonderful to connect with the broader community of learners. During synchronous events I chatted with people in India, Switzerland, and South Africa (to name a few). There was a sense of collaboration as we all worked around the world on social impact causes. It was energizing to hear from such vibrant and diverse professionals. Though our endeavors were varied, there was strong connection in the amount of dedication, hard work, and positive attitudes around the kind of experiences that can be discouraging alone. I was moved by the thoughtfulness that the other students offered to my comments, and having their creative thinking in response to my questions, puzzles, and early ideas was unexpected and helpful. 

Supporting a Career Change

This experience felt like a booster for my nonprofit knowledge. I’ve worked in a faith-based setting for decades, but this program helped me to become more fluent in broader non-profit leadership strategies. I could see this certificate being immediately relevant to anyone who is pivoting in their career in this turbulent time.

Are you looking for ways to reimagine the work you do? Are you looking for support to map a new direction or a new project? Then you might be interested in the Executive Program in Faith and Social Impact. You can download the viewbook and learn more about the program here.