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Social Enterprise
Hey everybody,
I have had a lot of response and suggestions from my where I want to be in 10 years. So i wanted to put it up to discussion so that anyone with any ideas of things that could do diffrent, any advice or anyone who has any experiance in relevant fields, i would love to hear from you.
At the moment i am studying Buisness and Computer Games at Uni, i know computer games dosnt sound like it can help, but it can! In 10 years I want to have made up my own social enterprise company that make games for helping children to learn, as many children are visual learners and are struggling from books. Then I want to take the profits from this company to send as many free copys of the learning games and computers as i can to less fortunate countrys. Also possably doing the games through phones?
Even if you dont think this would work i would love to hear your reasions. Thank you
Views: 6
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Raymond M. Kristiansen on -
Im kind of in the dark if this is a Question, or just a description of your dream. ;)
Of course it could work, and can work, and will work. But that doesnt mean that there aren't other ways of doing it. There are tons of game manufacturers already who target children. Which ones of existing games for children do you see as 'best practice'? games for mobile phones is going to be a huge market. Quite a few people in africa have no computer, but they have a mobile phone.
This requires a lot of research! Market research, and finding collaborators and also partners In your markets. Who knows what these children actually need. What they need but maybe aren't getting today.
Your future, ten years from now, is more closely linked to your present self than what you might think.
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Permalink Reply by Maurits Johansson on -
Hannah, i think you can develop a sound buisnessmodel for this. I think you can give away everything for free and still get bread on you own table.I think its a great idea and i know it is possible. Games as methods of learning is a strong trend ni pedagogy. Here we could think about how a game can be designed for the specific conditions that arises in Evoke?
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Permalink Reply by Scott Newton on -
Hannah,
You're right, and they will. Of course the extent to which educational games really succeed is often influenced by the cultural proximity of user and program -- the extent to which a student can relate to and synthesize the material you will present.
This makes quality learning software development a culturally sensitive and local endeavor, one that will require plenty of "people" research to compliment your market research.
But I can tell you there's a huge demand over here, "across the pond" as it were, for affordable digital, individualized content that scales to students' scores on our national standardized tests. Too often teachers are left holding mandated achievement goals and reports of student competencies that fall below goal or grade-level performance... without having access to differentiated teaching solutions to use to help bridge the gap(s).
The games you're talking about are out there, but right now they're pricey (and with economic retraction comes budget reduction, putting them far beyond the reach of school districts all across the U.S.).
So go for it, with cultural specificity and cost effectiveness in mind! Tap networks like those you're working in and with right now to help with insight and content development, and you'll be well ahead of the curve ;)
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Permalink Reply by Eric Trott on -
You might want to check out these guys:
http://playpower.org/
They happen to be my "hero" so when I read this they automatically came to my head.
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Permalink Reply by John D. Boyden on -
Sure it is possible! Yet you have to make money or support your company somehow. Soyou need enterprise thinking as well. Rather than alll the cost of developing, creating and wrapping media, identifying customers and mailing, think supplying computer makers with usable free software bundles. *sigh* I got thaty link somewhere lol another company is doing it for 8 bit 12 dollar computers in India!
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Permalink Reply by Marshall and Jerod on -
i agree about your post i think that you are a intelligent anwser that you put well done
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Permalink Reply by Simon Brookes on -
Well done for starting this topic Hannah. The responses you have received so far are spot-on. One of the key themes developing in your replies is that you need to think of this type of venture as a sustainable businesses. Remember, social entrepreneurs have to operate in exactly the same way as more traditional corporate entrepreneurs. With that in mind you need to work on your business plan for this idea. What is the real issue your game will address? Where are the "areas of pain" in your target market? Who are you market exactly? What do they need? What do they want? What technical barriers are there to entry into this market? How will your business model work (i.e. how will it generate income)?
Lots of questions at this stage. I'd start with more research on the issues. Also, don't reinvent the wheel. What already exists?
The more of you working on this idea the better. Also, you have a great opportunity to engage with those people who are on the ground in some of the nations who might be your target "market". Try and find them and build your network. Collaboration is king. +20 spark for starting the conversation.
Simon
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Permalink Reply by Fanwell Maswazi Dube on -
i think people must start realising the need to help in their communities (by giving something and still putting a bread on your own table
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