Professor Heather Cameron Honored as a Social Innovator
Professor of Inclusive Education at Freie Universität Becomes Ashoka Fellow
№ 366/2010 from Nov 29, 2010
Heather Cameron is a professor, consultant, and director of the integration project, Boxgirls. In recognition of her creativity and innovation as a social entrepreneur, the professor of inclusive education at Freie Universität has now been made an Ashoka Fellow. She will be part of the Ashoka network of 2,500 social entrepreneurs who receive financial and professional support. She was presented with a stipend several days ago in Munich, along with seven other entrepreneurs. For Cameron, it was the third award this year. Earlier in the year she was honored as Professor of the Year by the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers, and her Boxgirls project received a special award from German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel in the “start social” national competition.
The British-Canadian researcher is committed to practice-oriented teaching that links sports, integration, and equality between the sexes. Her students in the Department of Education and Psychology are involved in projects such as Boxgirls and thus learn how gender-specific youth work can work in reality. The Boxgirls project is one of numerous academic initiatives that Heather Cameron started at Freie Universität to promote active participation in favor of social innovation. Her teaching is based on her research projects on social transformation processes and social participation. She is currently involved in two international research projects with the University of the Western Cape in South Africa that are funded by the Jacob’s Foundation and the Women Win Foundation.
Ashoka considers itself a social investor with philanthropic risk capital. The first Ashoka Fellow was elected in 1981 in India. The organization has been represented in Germany for five years and also selects fellows among social entrepreneurs in Germany. Some examples are projects for disadvantaged young people, transparent democracy, successful integration, or for the viability of rural areas.
For further information, please contact:
Lia Michael, Head of PR & Communications for Boxgirls
Tel.: +49 (0)30/531 48 500
Cell: +49 (0)1577/770 99 25
Email: media@boxgirls.org