It is suggested to use the downloadable PowerPoint presentation Critical Thinking to support the session.
1. Introduction. Introduce the concept of critical thinking and social entrepreneurship. Discuss the relevance of critical thinking in social entrepreneurship, especially for foreign-born women and basic critical thinking strategies, like SWOT analysis or the 5 Whys, and their application in social entrepreneurship by giving real-life examples for better comprehension.
2 Group Activity: Problem-Solving 30
2.1 Divide the participants into small groups. These groups should consist of 4-6 members each. Explain to them that for the duration of this activity, they will be acting as a team tasked with creating a viable social enterprise to resolve a specific community issue.
2.2 Hand out a "Critical Thinking Challenge Kit" to each group. These kits include a detailed description of a unique problem facing a fictional community ranging from environmental challenges to public health crises or educational inequity.
2.3 Providing Toolboxes: The "
Critical Thinking Toolbox” includes detailed explanations and step-by-step guides for applying basic critical thinking strategies, such as the SWOT analysis or the 5 Whys technique with visual aids, infographics, or quick-reference guides to these strategies to make them easier to understand and apply.
SWOT Analysis (Handout:
Critical Thinking 1 SWOT) is
a structured framework used to assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with a situation.
Start by identifying internal strengths and weaknesses, such as resources, skills, or limitations, and external opportunities and threats such as market trends, competition and potential risks. The aim is to critically evaluate each element of the SWOT analysis and consider their implications for the proposed social entrepreneurship.

5 Whys Technique
(Handout:
Critical Thinking 2 5Whys) is
a problem-solving approach used to uncover the root causes of a social issue or problem. It involves asking "why" five times to dig deeper into the underlying causes of a problem. Start with the problem statement and repeatedly asking "why" to uncover the underlying factors contributing to the problem. The aim is to think critically at each "why" iteration and explore multiple perspectives and possibilities to identify the core causes of the issue.
2.4 Give the groups 20 minutes to analyse their assigned community issues and design a social enterprise solution using the form. They should start by clearly defining the mission of their enterprise and then proceed to identify potential challenges and opportunities using the SWOT analysis in the Toolbox. After this they can employ the 5 Whys technique to root out the underlying causes of their assigned problem. Finally, they should brainstorm and propose an innovative, sustainable solution that aligns with their defined mission.
2.5 The presentation should include the problem they're addressing, their mission, their SWOT analysis, their identified root causes, and their proposed solution.
2.6 Reflection and Feedback (5 minutes) Allow participants to share their experiences from the group activity, reflecting on what they've learned and discussing how they can apply these skills. Provide constructive feedback to guide their learning process.