In mathematics, proof by example is not allowed—one can never be sure that there is no counter-example waiting to prove the theory wrong. But for social innovation, example is arguably the only proof from which amazing things are possible.
The School of Social Innovation, conceived and run by Malmö University, Sweden, Master’s student Sebi Tauciuc, is one such example. Indeed, the School is an innovation in itself. Sebi is writing his thesis on the premise that schools should be run a bit differently, beyond the theory in the classroom. And tonight, to a small but enthusiastic crowd, Sebi showed by example how to put his own thesis into action—which is, essentially, how to inspire others into action.
The School is made up of three main players: the teachers, the students, and the clients. Clients propose concrete social problems to the students that they would like solved, and the teachers facilitate by offering the mentorship and organizational structure needed to carry through.
Tonight marked the end of an intensive five-week program in which students had to select a problem, research, ideate, narrow down and implement a solution, and finally report the results, always with the clients needs and sensitivities in mind.
First up was Riitta, presenting Sofia, we care, a retirement home project she worked on with her teammates Duong, Hanna, and Yan in partnership with Tiina, the “devoted director” of the Sofia elderly care home. The problem was how to address the loneliness and isolation often felt by the elderly. Along the way, through a creative discovery process, the team learned that there are many other things the elderly would like to change in their lives and their environment, but they weren’t necessarily going to say it directly. The group used questionnaires, idea boxes, and group discussions, and found a lot of surprises.
“It is so important that they can feel real empowerment…and they are not objects, but subjects in their own lives,” said Tiina. She watched her residents become animated, lively, filled with a sense of purpose when they were filling out the questionnaires and deciding things for themselves.
Working with the residents is crucial. Take, for example, having someone to talk to. The team devised a sign that residents could hang on their door to invite others to come in. But it turns out that the residents don’t want to talk to each other, they want to talk to outsiders so that they can share their secrets without any of their neighbours finding out!
The team decided that the quickest way to implement such a companionship service was to just do it themselves.
“You realize, this person knows so much,” said Hanna, who spent several sessions talking to the residents one on one. They have lived interesting lives, have many skills, and most of all, time. Harnessing these things is what the Sofia project is all about.
Stay tuned for the Sofia residents’ blog, facebook page, and Granny Hug YouTube video, which is all in the works! For this team, five weeks was only enough time to start a few things, but they plan on working throughout the year on developing their partnership with the residents, and even convincing other, less lively retirement homes to follow their example.
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The second team of the evening had us turning our heads and discovering the very room in which we were assembled: the Helsinki HUB. HUB is running in some dozen countries and it aims to offer a space for people to meet, greet, mix, plan, entrepreneur, learn and advocate.
And it happens in a space. In Helsinki, that space used to be a rather lacklustre collection of furniture and paraphernalia. Most of us don’t pay much attention the layout of a room—the angle of the sofas, the distribution of the tables, or even the added ambiance of a plant—let alone the effort behind it. Unless of course it is bad, and then we feel entitled to complain about it, But how many people actually do something beyond that?
Ati, Christine, and Deji did, by taking the situation into their own hands—literally. They ran investigations by querying the users of the space what they liked, did not like, and what they would like. They surveyed the materials available, selected ideas that were feasible in the short period of time they had, and started rearranging everything to make the HUB space more conducive to the social activities it supports. There are sofas to lounge in at the back of the room, bulletin boards with idea exchange and opportunity matching, ‘fatboys’–enormous, hammock-like couches that invite collapse with abandon—at the front of the room, as well as distributed work station tables. Free entry, free wifi, open 9-5pm weekdays.
HUB is also available for evening bookings. Please see http://www.hubhelsinki.fi.
For more information on the School of Social Innovation, organized with the support of Jolly Dragon and HUB, please see http://dschool.sebidesigns.com/.
