Global Health Idea Incubator Workshop

The Summer 2011 workshop date will be announced soon. Please email rturkel@uniteforsight.org to be added to the e-mail announcement list.

Overview

Do you have an idea for a program, project, organization, or research study? Unite For Sight's Founder and CEO will hold a 1/2-day workshop to help you develop and launch your idea. The workshop will focus on effective healthcare delivery and the importance of best practices in global health, successful strategies of social innovation and social entrepreneurship, and mentoring and guidance on how to establish new initiatives and organizations. The workshop will be a small, intimate roundtable forum.

Workshop Schedule: 1:00-6:00pm

1:00-3:30pm - The Realities and Complexities of Global Health: Best Practices, Worst Practices, Ethics, and Strategies
- A comprehensive discussion about the principles and strategies of global health. What are best practices, and what is the significant harm of worst practices in global health? How does one look beyond good intentions and ensure that they avoid the pitfalls? What are ethical issues involved with photography and visual representations of global health work? During this session, participants will learn from the lessons of successful and unsuccessful models, programs, and organizations.
3:30-4:30pm - Social Entrepreneurship and Ethics of Innovation
- This session will discuss successful strategies and models of social entrepreneurship. How do social enterprises operate, and what is the difference between charity and social entrepreneurship? What makes a healthcare strategy work, and what are models of innovation? Why is social entrepreneurship important in global health endeavors? Who are "invisible entrepreneurs", and how can they be supported? How does one innovate while focusing on quality and ensuring that the idea is evidence-based? How does one evaluate whether an idea is likely to work effectively and cost-effectively? What are best practices in innovation?
4:30-5:00pm - Evidence-Based Design and Measuring Outcomes
- What are metrics, and how are outcomes measured? What is the difference between outcomes and outputs? What evaluative frameworks are used to evaluate global health programming?
5:00-6:00pm- Design and Development Idea Incubator
- Participants will learn how to start and expand new global health ideas and initiatives. What makes a great idea, and how does one transform ideas into action? What are some financial and other practical considerations? What are ideas for funding sources and funding models? This session includes a round-table discussion about the ideas of the workshop participants. The workshop participants are an impressive, diverse group who are committed to improving health and development worldwide. They are encouraged to network and collaborate.

About The Instructor

Jennifer Staple-Clark founded Unite For Sight in her dorm room while a sophomore at Yale University in fall 2000. Under Jennifer's leadership and with her focus on entrepreneurial innovation, Unite For Sight is now a leader in providing cost-effective care to the world's poorest people. By investing human and financial resources into the social ventures of eye clinics in developing countries, Unite For Sight has provided eye care to more than 1,100,000 people living in extreme poverty, including more than 37,000 sight-restoring surgeries. Additionally, Unite For Sight's Global Health University and Global Impact Corps programs develop and nurture the next generation of global health leaders. Unite For Sight also coordinates an annual Global Health & Innovation Conference that convenes more than 2,200 participants from 60 countries.

A visionary leader and social entrepreneur, Jennifer Staple-Clark has been featured twice in Nicholas D. Kristof's columns in The New York Times. She was also featured weekly on CNN International in 2007 and 2008. A cum laude graduate of Yale University, Jennifer frequently gives presentations and keynote addresses about social entrepreneurship, global health, and international development. Her most recent audiences have included Harvard School of Public Health, Yale Law School, Yale College, Yale School of Public Health, Duke, University of Virginia, Stanford University, York University, University of Miami School of Medicine, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, New York University School of Medicine, Loyola Marymount University, Loyola University, Lehigh University, MIT, Northwestern University School of Medicine's American Medical Student Association Conference, Brigham Young University's Global Maternal and Child Health Conference, and American Academy of Ophthalmology's Women in Ophthalmology Leadership Institute.

Jennifer is the recipient of the American Institute of Public Service's 2009 National Jefferson Award For Public Service, which is regarded as the "Nobel Prize" for public service. In 2007, Jennifer was awarded a BRICK Award, which honors and funds change-makers who identify problems and do something to change the world. CNN dubbed the BRICK Awards "the Oscars of youth service awards." She has also been featured in the book Our Time is Now: Young People Changing the World, as well as in many other publications. She is the author of journal articles and book chapters about social entrepreneurship, best practices in global health, and community eye health.

What Participants Say About The Workshop

"The workshop was well organized. The content was focused and the speaker was excellent. Absolutely enjoyed the afternoon and believe the workshop was well worth the very long train ride."
"I think this is a great way to help really revolutionize global health!"
"The instructor clearly has a wide range of experience and is inspiring to all who wish to work in the field of global health."
"I really loved the way in which material was presented. It was presented in a really engaging manner."
"The examples and advice shared were helpful and the forum allowed for wonderful and interesting interaction between the attendees. It was a privilege to be there."
"I found the workshop to be outstanding and I truly gained a great deal of information from the instructor and the other participants."
"I thought that the workshop was enjoyable and informative. The most valuable thing I took away was a perspective on social entrepreneurship that will hopefully make this path accessible to me in the future."
"I learned a great deal about what has worked and what has failed, in terms of global health. I found this particularly interesting because it was the first time I have ever seen such a comprehensive case study of the sort. I now have a better understanding of where the field is heading and where it is steering away from."
"Excellent review of foreseeable and less obvious barriers to care. Great small group discussion and participation from members. Fantastic afternoon."
"The workshop was informative because the topics were connected and presented in a progression that was logical. The instructor had a lot of knowledge and experience with the subject and always provided evidence for her statements which was very helpful for understanding the concepts. I most enjoyed hearing about the logistics of each project that was discussed. I find that it's very helpful to learn from examples."
"The examples were all great! So much information!"
"The Incubator gave us the chance to expand our network and contribute to a growing consciousness about the importance of public/private partnerships in healthcare (and other service) provision worldwide." Read the complete blog about last year's November 2009 workshop.

How To Apply

Unite For Sight accepts applications on a rolling basis, and the first qualified applicants will be accepted.

Please submit your application to Rachel Turkel (rturkel@uniteforsight.org) with the subject line "Idea Incubator Workshop". Please submit:

Resume/CV.
Short essay (suggested length of 300-500 words) that describes your interest in the workshop and past involvement in global health (if any). Please also let us know how you learned about the workshop.

The highest quality candidates will be invited to participate in the Idea Incubator Workshop. Applications are promptly reviewed, and applicants will be notified of the decision on their application within one business day of submission of the completed application. In order to hold an applicant's place in the workshop, a course fee of $70 is required within two days of acceptance. By submitting the course fee, an applicant commits to participating in the workshop, and Unite For Sight confirms the applicant's position in the limited-capacity workshop.