For Immediate Release August 15, 2013
StraighterLine and Ashoka’s Youth Venture Partner to Train Social Entrepreneurs to Start Changing the World
BALTIMORE, MD – StraighterLine (www.StraighterLine.com) announced today that they have partnered with Ashoka’s Youth Venture, the global pioneer of the social entrepreneurship sector and the world’s biggest network of changemakers, to offer an innovative “Startups For Social Entrepreneurs Certificate” Program. Youth Venture is an initiative of Ashoka, the global pioneer of the social entrepreneurship sector, that inspires and supports teams of young people to launch and lead their own civic-minded organizations and businesses. The partnership is intended to provide future social entrepreneurs with the knowledge they will need to launch a business created to address a social, environmental or economic problem. Students will conceive, plan, and create their own social ventures and learn how to access capital and resources to support their growth. Upon successful completion of the programs, students will receive a Social Entrepreneurship Certificate awarded by Ashoka’s Youth Venture. Students can choose from two options: a single online course, Certificate Only program, or a 4-course program that also includes their choice of three 3-credit online business courses, a 6-month subscription to StraighterLine, online tutoring and proctored exams. Both options are centered around the Venture Planning for Social Entrepreneurs course (ENTR101) facilitated by Dr. Kristin Joos which starts September 3rd and ends in November the week prior to Thanksgiving. Dr. Joos is the Director of the Young Entrepreneurs for Leadership & Sustainability High School Summer Program at the University of Florida, as well as the founder of the Innovative Sustainability & Social Impact (ISSI) Initiative in the Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation in the Warrington College of Business at UF. Program tuition is less than $80 per semester credit. Scholarships are available to Youth Venture members to further reduce the cost of tuition for the credit bearing bundle. “StraighterLine itself is a social venture,” says Burck Smith, CEO of StraighterLine. “Our mission is to provide students an ultra-affordable pathway that leads to real college credit and eventually a degree. We’re excited and proud to be partnered with a forward looking organization like Youth Venture which empowers students to make positive change in their own communities.” Gretchen Zucker, Executive Director of Ashoka’s Youth Venture adds, “changemaker skills – problem solving, empathy, teamwork and leadership -- are becoming increasingly relevant to the companies we are talking to, and certificates like Startups for Social Entrepreneurs stand to validate those skills and the time young people devote to developing them through the process of launching and leading social ventures.” “StraighterLine students tend to be highly motivated self-starters. It’s a character trait that’s common both to online students who take control of their own education and social entrepreneurs who devote their careers to making the world a better place. This partnership with Ashoka Youth Venture and Dr. Joos is a perfect fit for us,” says Josef Katz, VP Marketing of StraighterLine. About Ashoka’s Youth Venture Ashoka’s Youth Venture aims to help an entire generation of young people develop as changemakers who will improve their communities now and throughout their lives. We believe that the greatest contribution we can make to the world is to increase dramatically the number of changemakers today and in every future generation. This is the key factor for success for every part of society, from a school to a company to an entire country. Ashoka’s Youth Venture operates in 18 countries and online at www.youthventure.org. About StraighterLine StraighterLine has been recognized as a revolutionizing force in education by major news organizations and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for offering students online courses that earn real college credit for just $99 a month and an entire year’s worth of college courses for just $1299. Inside Higher Ed recognized StraighterLine for offering the “...lowest-cost set of credit-bearing courses on the Internet.” And Fast Company named StraighterLine one of the “10 Most Innovative Companies in Education.” In order to facilitate the award of credit, StraighterLine has forged partnerships with leading accredited online colleges and universities. A student ultimately earns a degree from those institutions but realizes tremendous savings and convenience by starting with StraighterLine. StraighterLine’s courses have been evaluated and recommended by the American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT). More than 2,000 colleges and universities consider ACE CREDIT recommendations in determining the applicability to their course and degree programs. In addition to the institutions with which StraighterLine has a direct relationship, more than 350 other schools are reported to have accepted StraighterLine coursework for transfer credit. Currently, StraighterLine offers entry-level college courses online in the Sciences, Humanities, English, Math, Business and Language. Many StraighterLine courses are now offered in both self-paced and professor-led formats. Recently, AHIMA approved continuing education units for two StraighterLine science courses specifically for ICD10 certification programs. 5 StraighterLine courses have been approved by The College Board to be listed as AP courses. As a pioneer in the movement to revolutionize college for America, StraighterLine also offers alternatives to college courses including Prior Learning Assessments and credit-by-examinations that let students earn college credit for knowledge and life experiences they already possess. For information, visit www.StraighterLine.com