HESE on the Big Ten Network

Essential Design, Mashavu and WishVast – three ongoing HESE ventures in Kenya are featured in the pilot episode of Global Penn State on the Big Ten Network. "The programs featured in Kenya epitomize the integration of our tripartite mission of teaching, research and service, but in a global context. Penn State is committed to preparing students who would be actively engaged in tackling some of the global challenges of our time, " said Michael Adewumi, vice provost for Global Programs.

Mashavu launches one-year pilot test across six locations in Kenya

Mashavu kicked off a one-year long pilot program with two kiosks across six locations in Central and Southern Kenya. HESE will be partnering with the Children and Youth Empowerment Center (CYEC), UN Industrial Development Office (UNIDO) and the Kenyan Ministry of Health on this pilot test. One kiosk is housed at the UNIDO energy kiosk in Olosho Oibor while the second kiosk is a rotating kiosk that will provide services to five distinct communities around Nyeri: the villages of Gatitu, Micha, Ruring'u, Thunguma and Nyeri town. The Mashavu team aims to scale up from 6 to 12 kiosks in Summer 2012.

HESE wins National Award

HESE won the 2011 Outstanding Specialty Entrepreneurship Program Award from the U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE). The award recognizes an entrepreneurship program's development of an innovative, highly effective course or program for teaching entrepreneurship in a niche or specialty area. National judges evaluated each program’s written entry and formal presentation based on its innovativeness, quality and effectiveness, completeness and comprehensiveness, sustainability and transferability to other universities.

HESE students explore The Secret Life of Public Spaces

With an open mind, creativity and passion, collaboration knows no limit. Megan Ruffe, Rachel Suffian, Jai Narayanan & Bridget Dougher from the Social Entrepreneurship class are collaborating with students from dance, landscape architecture, architecture & engineering to bring a new sense of awareness to public spaces. The HESE team is exploring augmented reality systems to provide immersive educational experiences in informal settings. The project is funded by a $200,000 Creative Campus Innovations Grant.

International Sustainable Development Law Clinic Launched

The Dickinson School of Law is collaborating with HESE to launch a first-of-its-kind law clinic that will enable students to build the legal skills necessary to bring sustainable new ventures to market in an international environment. Clinic students will specifically be responsible for identifying and evaluating potential legal obstacles to implementation of innovations, advising stakeholders and facilitating solutions. Jeff Erickson will serve as the director of the clinic and advise students that provide legal expertise to HESE projects, enhance their probability of success while ensuring that the ventures do not inadvertently cause harm to any entity.