The Changemaker Index™ is a digital platform that helps Ashoka U Changemaker Campuses assess, measure, and cultivate the changemaking skills and mindsets of their students, faculty, staff, and alumni. It tracks progress towards becoming effective agents of social and environmental change and aligns with the criteria required for Changemaker Campus designation. The CMI platform consists of several features, notably the CMI Assessment and the CMI Analytic Dashboards.

The CMI Assessment, developed by Ashoka’s Impact & Evidence team alongside leading social innovation scholars, aligns with the criteria required for becoming a Changemaker Campus. It helps institutions demonstrate excellence in teaching and research which maximizes positive social and environmental impact. The CMI platform supports participatory approaches, encourages experimentation, and fosters collaboration between faculty and staff across hierarchies and disciplines. Furthermore, the CMI Assessment can aid your efforts in evaluating long-term program effectiveness and inspire approaches for continuous improvement.

Incorporating the CMI into your institution's renewal process and action plan can help maintain adherence to designation criteria, provide a meaningful engagement tool for stakeholders, and offer a competitive advantage in attracting students, staff, and funding.

The 5-minute, 30-question assessment measures four key changemaking skills: (1) Conscious Empathy, (2) Integrated, Fluid, and Open Teams, (3) Changemaking Leadership, and (4) Practicing Changemaking, and 16-subdimensions. These skills complement other assessment tools like the Inner Development Goals, Clifton Strengths, and Meyers Briggs.  

The Analytic Dashboards offer valuable data-driven insights for you to manage, track, and measure changemaker density. Establishing a baseline and monitoring progress over time will help your institution understand the effectiveness of your efforts to foster a changemaking culture and pinpoint areas for improvement.

The CMI empowers students to uncover their changemaking strengths, identify areas for improvement, make informed decisions about majors, career paths, and contributions to the UN SDGs. It also guides them in choosing courses, extracurricular activities, and internships that align with their changemaking skills and personal development goals, fostering lifelong learning and adaptability.

Faculty and staff can utilize the CMI to enhance teaching, mentoring, and support for student success by understanding their own strengths and areas for improvement. Additionally, it allows them to contribute to the development of university-wide strategies to enhance changemaking education and initiatives while nurturing a culture of lifelong learning beyond the classroom.

By integrating the CMI, institutions can enhance curricula relevance, differentiate themselves from competitors, strengthen student retention, showcase the impact of their programs and graduates, and ultimately drive more interest in their offerings. The CMI fosters alignment with job market needs and societal challenges, improving reputation, alumni engagement, and commitment to social and environmental impact.  

As changemaking becomes an increasingly sought-after skill by employers, institutions that prioritize and measure their changemaker density can attract students who seek meaningful education with real-world impact. Investing in this tool can differentiate your institution from others and enhance your position in the sector, driving more interest in your offerings.