By Jonathan Briggs, Director of Strategy, Technology, and Innovation

Last spring, fifteen Eastside Prep students completed the Social Innovators Program through our partnership with the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy & Practice and Schoolyard Ventures. Over twelve weeks, they identified real problems, built potential solutions, and tested their ideas with actual users. They chose their own projects, faced genuine uncertainty, made decisions about scope and tradeoffs, and presented their work to entrepreneur mentors. The certificate they earned from Penn recognizes that they’ve turned an idea into something tangible.

PROBLEMS WORTH SOLVING

Fifteen distinct projects emerged from the 2025 cohort, each addressing problems that students encountered in their own communities.

LEARNING THROUGH REAL CONSTRAINTS

Building something that someone else will actually use creates particular pressures. As students described their experiences, they talked about confronting constraints they hadn’t anticipated. One noted that “the most challenging part of building something real was finishing it.” Another observed the need “to get things done more quickly in the schedule.”

Atalay (’27) aimed to create local STEM workshops through STEMHouse. Working through the twelve weeks, a tradeoff became clear: “I wouldn’t have the resources to actually build it in time, and had to settle with setting up the groundwork for it instead.” That kind of reckoning with scope and capacity develops judgment applicable beyond any single project.

The program pairs students with experienced entrepreneur mentors who provide feedback throughout. Brisa (’26) reflected that communicating with people who disagree “is the best way to learn about why they don’t agree.” Simeon (’27) noted that working with experienced mentors sometimes meant being told to “start over and redo things”—advice that was hard to hear but necessary. Koah (’27) described being recommended to switch projects halfway through: “It was annoying and required a lot more work on my end, but in the end it was very worth it.”

ASSUMPTIONS THAT CHANGED

Students often began the program thinking entrepreneurship is primarily about money and requires a brilliant, fullyformed idea to start.

One student reflected: “I used to think entrepreneurship was about money. Now I think it’s sometimes money but can also be about helping.” Another noted: “I had an assumption that you needed to already have a great billion-dollar idea, but in reality you can just have an open mind and find a problem that you would be interested in solving.”

Students learned that impact doesn’t begin with perfect solutions. As they told us: “Impact doesn’t start with a single idea, it starts with multiple different inputs” and “Impact doesn’t start with the solution, it starts with communication with the target audience.” This realization—that social entrepreneurship starts with genuine problems and openness to iteration—develops an entrepreneurial mindset applicable well beyond starting companies.

HOW THE PARTNERSHIP WORKS

EPS is selective about partnerships, looking for organizations whose educational philosophy aligns with ours. When Schoolyard Ventures and Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice approached us, we were initially skeptical. After discussions and reviewing their curriculum, what emerged was nearcomplete alignment with Eastside Prep’s approach. They provide experienced entrepreneur mentors and a proven structure—weekly recitations, advisor check-ins, skill-building drills—that scaffolds genuine independence. We’re excited to have them as partners.

The partnership also connects our students to peers from other schools. Working in small cohorts that mix schools means exchanging perspectives and learning from different contexts.

WHAT COMES NEXT

By the time you read this, another cohort will be finishing their own program experience. The diversity of projects this past spring—from healthcare apps to sports connection platforms, from supply management systems to college transition programs—suggests next year’s cohort will address interesting problems in different ways.

These projects are seeds. Some will continue to grow beyond the program; others will not. What will persist for students is the capacity to identify problems worth solving, build something tangible, gather user feedback, and iterate toward something useful. That skill set will serve them well throughout their lives.

Applications for this program open every December and are due mid-January. Rising tenth and eleventh graders are invited to consider this unique opportunity.

Simeon (Class of 2027) noticed how difficult it is for students to find honest information about summer programs and enrichment opportunities. His project, Glass Slipper Programs, creates a platform where alumni reviews replace marketing copy.

Alyson (’27) recognized that students interested in science careers often separate art and science into different worlds. Through Illuminase, she’s building opportunities to explore scientific principles through artistic creation.

Anhat (’26) saw how easily people lose track of healthcare amid busy schedules and confusing medical terminology. HealthJourney uses gamification to help patients stay organized and actively participate in their care. Reflecting after the program, Anhat shared questions that emerged: “What could society benefit from? What can I do to make the world a better place?”

Koah (’27) built VolunTeen to help teenagers find volunteering opportunities aligned with their interests and schedules.

Anja (’27) created Real Talk, a peer-led Discord community providing mental health support for teens.

Ameen’s (’27) Ultimate College Program guides teen ultimate frisbee players through the college transition process.

Brisa (’26) developed CareerConnect to link students with professionals for mentorship and job shadowing.

Ben (’27) worked on two connected projects: Sports Hub helps high school athletes find club sports teams, while College Connect helps juniors reach current college students at schools they’re considering.

David (’26) designed CoolScreen to incentivize student athletes to use sunscreen consistently, addressing long-term health risks.

Jonah’s (’27) WorldCourt uses sport as a universal language to help international students find their footing in new societies.

Anmol (’27) built SchoolLoop, a ridesharing app that schools can adopt to reduce carbon footprints and coordinate transportation to events.

Isaac (’27) created SupplySync, a centralized platform for tracking school supply inventory at Medina Academy.

Aragson (’27) developed Medicine Made Simple to help teens learn about different health professions through short videos and infographics.

Atalay (’27) designed STEMHouse, a local workshop platform where high schoolers can collaborate on independent STEM projects.

Manas (’27) built a Chrome extension adding filters to Google Scholar, improving the ability to find credible documents in underrepresented fields.