What is a 'Social Innovation Camp'?

... You're probably wondering!

In a nutshell, Social Innovation Camp uses the web to solve real life problems.  It brings together talented software developers/designers and social innovators to build effective web-based solutions to social problems -- and all in the course of 48 hours!

The first Social Innovation Camp was held in London in April 2008 (watch the documentary film to learn more about the event itself).  Over the course of a Camp, six projects were developed from rough ideas into working prototypes, and two were awarded top prizes.  The winning projects including Enabled by Design, a resource for people living with disabilities, injuries or impairment, looking to make adjustments to assistive equipment and their lives.  The runner-up project, Visiting Prisons, is a tool to support the families of prisoners and make the experience of visiting a loved one in prison more humane.

The second Social Innovation Camp, held in December 2008, drew 7 ideas from 115 submissions.  The overall winner was The Good Gym, which helps people to channel their physical energy in a positive direction by integrating visits to lonely housebound older people into their exercise routines.  Second place went to Useful Visits, a platform where people on international trips can volunteer their free time between official activities.

A third Social Innovation Camp is scheduled to take place in Glasgow, Scotland in July 2009.

Social Innovation Camp - Central and Eastern Europe (SICCEE) builds upon these successful experiences, and broadens the project's scope.  Ideas will be accepted from seven countries in Central and Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia) and volunteers will be drawn from all over Europe.  The event will be held in Bratislava, Slovakia 16-18 September, coinciding with the Trust for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE Trust)'s Civil Society Forum, which reflects on 20 years of civil society in post-communist Europe.

How it Works (borrowed from our partners at SI Camp UK):

1. Think of an idea.  Think of an idea for a web-based tool that has the potential to change something important.  Our ideas criteria will tell you more about the sort of thing we’re after. Your idea will need to be focused on addressing a specific social need, the technology must be central to its purpose and it must be innovative - you’ve got to make something that matters.
2. Tell us about your idea.  Send your idea to the Social Innovation Camp team. There are some ideas submissions questions to help you explain what your idea is. All ideas are open and we will post them online for you or others to add comments.
3. Ideas are selected by Social Innovation Camp judges.  From the ideas sent to us, our judges choose the ideas which they think hold the greatest potential to create social change and will benefit most from coming to the Social Innovation Camp. All selected ideas are published online.
4. Get involved.  If your idea doesn’t get picked, or if you don’t want to submit an idea in the first place, never fear, you can still get involved. In fact, you’re really important. We need the help of a huge range of people – from software developers through to business experts, from digital media lawyers to people with expertise in the problems we’re trying to solve - to help make the selected ideas a reality.
5. You can volunteer to come along for the Camp; you have to tell us what you’re interested in and what your skills are (geek, social innovator, entrepreneur etc) and we’ll help you get the most out of the Camp.
6. Camp!  The Social Innovation Camp is an open space meeting. Our aim is to transform a set of early-stage concepts into prototype web-based tools in under 48 hours. It’s structured around the selected ideas, but you’ll be expected to organise yourselves into teams – often with people you’ve not met before - and they’ll be lots of discussion and practical hands-on stuff. No powerpoint in sight.
7. Show and Tell your prototype.  We’re hoping that by the end of the Camp you’ll be part of a team with a basic working model for a new venture. The event will close with a Show and Tell pitching competition which will include some prizes for the winning ideas which demonstrate the greatest potential to create real change.
8. Start your venture!  Social Innovation Camp is all about creating the relationships needed to start new projects and we hope your ideas won’t end with the Camp. The Social Innovation Camp team aims to give you a helping hand after the Camp to build on what you’ve created.

Interested?  Fill out the online form today to volunteer at the event in Bratislava. 

Questions?  Contact us!