Social Innovation Lab

Our Social Innovation Lab helps social service organizations apply design thinking to solving social problems.  Central to the Lab is a series of fast-paced interactions that result in the development and refinement of a solution prototype. 

The Social Innovation Lab is a guided, nine-month learning experience designed to help participating agencies develop innovative solutions to social problems.  By the end of the Lab process, the agencies have pilot tested core elements of their social innovation prototype.

Each year, the Center for Social Innovation partners with Social Innovation Teams from four social service agencies.  The Lab helps the agencies strengthen their capacity for social innovation so that they can continue to engage in social innovation after the Lab experience has been completed.

Benefits + Opportunities

Participating organizations will:

• develop one or more custom prototypes to address agency responses to social problems;
• engage in peer-to-peer consulting and dialogue about sustained change;
• receive a customized summary report about their Lab experience;
• offer unique development and leadership opportunities to team members;
• practice ways to foster and support innovation.