 inov8.ca is an SFU social innovation blog, supported by the CMA Centre, to bring students together to discuss the social problems that affect and interest us, to raise awareness of these problems and generate and implement practical ideas to solve them. inov8.ca is organized around a community website on which students discuss the social problems they’re passionate about, and work together to develop innovative solutions.
Saying that inov8.ca is a new SFU social innovation blog is unlikely to raise many eyebrows. Social innovation has become a legitimate area of practice and research. Blogging is a recognised social networking tool. And SFU has a stream of socially-focused programs and events running on a continuous basis. So what's new about this latest idea from the business faculty, spear-headed and supported by the CMA Centre for Social Innovation?
inov8.ca's development manager, doctoral student Lisa Papania, believes that the difference lies in its focus. While a range of highly reputed organizations like Stanford Business School and the Clinton Foundation have created a high profile for social issues and the need to mobilize resources in order to solve them, many of the issues that that these organizations deal with are big, "out-there"-type problems like global warming and poverty. While few people believe these problems to be trivial, many might feel that their ability as individuals to have any significant impact on these problems is negligible. So inov8.ca's goal is to get past and present SFU students, their friends, and their associates, talking about how such big problems affect them at an individual and local level. But in addition to talking about the problems, inov8.ca's focus is on supporting - financially, administratively, and politically - student-organized and run projects to solve local problems, and thereby chip away at the larger global issues.
However, even this idea is not particularly new. Lists of things that individuals can do to fight climate change, address social injustice, or reduce poverty are almost inescapable. inov8.ca believes that it is because individuals are already exposed to the idea that they can personally make a difference, and actively seek out opportunities to get involved, that students will participate in this initiative. Through inov8.ca, alumni and students can contribute individually to discussions; but take innovative action in groups with the support and encouragement of renowned institutions, SFU and the CMA. As a result of this support and encouragement, inov8.ca hopes to provide a forum for participants to engage in creative conversations about the social problems in our world, that develop into ground-breaking projects, that lead to significant social change.
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What is an inov8.ca community blog?
A community blog is a forum focusing on a particular set of social issues. It's called a community because inov8.ca is about friends who think and act together - through conversation and action -with respect to particular social issues. Community blogs are different from conventional blogs in that the issues are raised by and discussed amongst inov8.ca members through the comments. The role of the blog posts, then, is to focus conversations on one issue at a time, prioritizing those with the most interest and relevance to past and present SFU students; and to move these issues from coversation to action. When one issue moves to action, the community then shifts focus to another topic raised by and of interest to community members.
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Why should you participate in inov8.ca?
The primary motivation for participating in inov8.ca will be to effect real social change. However, in addition to this, regular participation in inov8.ca activities will not only earn you recognition by your peers for your standpoint on and insight into social issues, but will be rewarded by letters of recommendation for writing and involvement by the inov8.ca organizing panel. Leading and working on solutions projects will be rewarded with recognition by the parties for whom projects are implemented; with a bit of celebrity as a result of local media coverage of project implementations; and with acknowledgement by the inov8.ca panel who will write letters of recommendation on your leadership and organizational abilities. Editing blogs will bring you recognition as a thought leader with respect to specific social issues and be acknowleged by letters of recommendation on leadership and organization from the inov8.ca panel.
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How does inov8.ca support members' projects?
Solution project plans that are approved by the inov8.ca panel will be awarded SFU/CMA Social Innovation grants up to a value of $500. These grants will be given based on the expenditure needs of the project (which will be provided in teams' implementation funding applications). In addition to funding, solutions projects will be given administrative support; which means that the inov8.ca panel will ensure that access to facilities is provided for project teams. Access can take the form of making connections for team members to internal and external parties; providing marketing support; etc. The nature of this support will be unique to of each solutions project.
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