Sunday, July 1, 2012

Conclusion and Thank You's:

The Magnificent Seven did such a great job with their posts, that since the initial 'Hello' there was no need for me to blog much. 
They really said it all: whether it was about the social entrepreneurs who volunteered their time to come and talk to our group, or the memorable sites we visited in and around Budapest, or the cultural, culinary, and linguistic ventures they undertook in the past five weeks - you can find it all in the notes they've written, and beautiful pics they posted throughout the program. 


Reading these stories I hope that you agree we had a successful and fun summer. They took advantage of all the opportunities the program and this country provided. It might have been a bit overwhelming from time to time (which tram goes where at what time?), but that did not slow them down, and they embraced the best (meeting new people, working with talented leaders, trying local stuff: food, thermal baths, the nightlife), and did not complain about the challenges (the heat, the rain, the early mornings, the side effects of delicious, but heavy meals) - just like one would expect from a group of true Ramblin' Wrecks.


In the 7 weeks of the program we visited 12 social enterprises, heard from 19 social entrepreneurs , and together our students contributed more than 220 hours to their internships. They worked on projects and tasks that helped our partners (United Way Hungary, Courage Camps, CEEweb, Center for Independent Journalism, XKK Media, and HAND)  better serve their mission, and in the process they learned about the challenges and opportunities the social sector is facing, and the importance of sustainability, creativity, ethics, and leadership in delivering innovative solutions to the world's most pressing social issues.


So all that is left is to thank the wonderful people and organizations (mentioned throughout our blog pages) for being part of our journey - in Atlanta and in Hungary. My colleague, Bob Thomas and I are deeply grateful for their invaluable support and contributions to our students' understanding of the global challenges that require their leadership and for providing an inspiring example for them to follow.
We are looking forward to continuing the relationship and this journey next summer.


Viszontlátásra!



At the old Roma cave houses that were transformed into artists' workshop

High fiving Harley drivers near Lake Balaton

In front of the Royal Palace in Godollo

The Monastery of Tihany
Yours truly: Dori and Bob