Experiential Learning
Students at the GSB can explore a variety experiential learning opportunities that go above and beyond traditional classroom-based programs. Learn more about some of these alternatives by exploring the links below:
Making a Difference
In addition to these formal experiential programs, Stanford abounds with student-initiated opportunities to learn, grow, and make a difference.
For example, inspired by the GSB research and teaching on how social media can propel business and social change described in The Dragonfly Effect, a group of 12 Stanford students launched an effort called 100K Cheeks. Their goal is to provide cancer patients with a better chance of life by using social media networks to inspire 100,000 people to register as bone marrow donors by June 2012. (The name of the group comes from simple cheek swab that’s needed to test and register someone.) The team is particularly determined to ensure that 80 percent of the new donors it recruits are of South Asian decent. The match rate within the South Asian demographic is critically low—a meager 1 in 20,000 chance for a potential recipient to find a match.
Using the principles in The Dragonfly Effect, 100K Cheeks has already helped to register 75,000 new donors (as of October 2011). One of its key strategies has been placing a strong emphasis on personal stories to convey the message that registering as a donor has the power to save a life. Based on this success to date, Vineet Singal, a Stanford senior and the executive director of 100K Cheeks, has been invited to present the group’s work at TEDxSoMa and TEDIndia/INK this Fall.
In the coming year, the team plans to expand its goal to register 1 million people worldwide using a “do-it-yourself” platform that 100K Cheeks calls Social Change in a Box.
Please help by learning more about Amit Gupta and the broader effort behind 100K Cheeks We also encourage students to visit DoSomething.org or text SPIT to 38383 to get information about hosting a bone marrow registration drive.
Jennifer Aaker is the General Atlantic Professor of Marketing at Stanford GSB
As a social psychologist and marketer, Jennifer Aaker’s research spans time, money, and happiness. Recently, she began investigating how small acts can create infectious action and how these effects can be fueled by social media.
In her book, The Dragonfly Effect: Quick Effective Powerful Ways to Harness Social Media for Impact, she and co-author Andy Smith present a four-part framework—Focus, Grab Attention, Engage, and Take Action—for using social media to achieve unprecedented social good and loyalty among a target audience.
In a podcast from the Stanford School of Medicine, Jennifer discusses how she became convinced of the power of social media to help individuals and organizations achieve business and social missions. She also describes the catalyst for the 100K Cheeks campaign.