---
tags: Digital Social Innovation
title: Digital Social Innovation in K12
---

# Digital Social Innovation in K12

Realising the potential of youth and technology to tackle social challenges.

- How educational ecosystem can use Digital Technologies to tackle [local] social challenges ?

- What are the conditions and models of support for growth and sustainability of the DSI at K12?

- Technology as a bridge between humans and social challenges in a social, politic and economic context.

## Miro Interactive Board

<iframe width="768" height="432" src="https://miro.com/app/live-embed/o9J_kgyTYvg=/?moveToViewport=-1917,-1539,3313,1766" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no" allowFullScreen></iframe>

## What Is Digital Social Innovation ?

- “A type of social and collaborative innovation in which innovators, users and communities collaborate using digital technologies to co-create knowledge and solutions for a wide range of social needs and at a scale and speed that was unimaginable before the rise of the Internet." (from the DSI project (2)). DSI initiatives also:
- Have a social impact
- Adopt new technology trends in a novel way
- Aim to empower citizens for individual and collective awareness
- Demonstrate a clear network effect
- Focus on supporting and working with grassroots or ‘bottom-up’ communities of users.

- Digital technologies to tackle social challenges in fields like healthcare, education, employment, democratic participation, migration and the environment.
- Technology have the potential to transform the way our public services operate, revitalise civic life and allow citizens to become direct participants in tackling social challenges.
- The bridge between technology and people.

* Similar concepts:
* *Civic Technology:* technology that enables greater participation in government or otherwise assists government in delivering citizen services and strengthening ties with the public.

2. https://casseroleclub.com
3. Bria, F. et al. (2015) ‘Growing a digital social innovation
ecosystem for Europe: DSI Final Report.’ Brussels: European
Commission, 2015.
4. http://www.govtech.com/civic/What-is-Civic-Tech.html
5. https://civichall.org/
6. http://knightfoundation.org
7. http://mysociety.org
8. http://empodera.org/en/
9. http://bethnalgreenventures.com
10. https://comicrelief.com/grants/tech-f

### DSI Characteristics:
- Have a social impact
- Adopt new technology trends in a novel way
- Aim to empower citizens for individual and collective awareness
- Demonstrate a clear network effect
- Focus on supporting and working with grassroots or ‘bottom-up’ communities of users.

### Skills and Learnings for DSI

### Social Areas Where DSI Projects Are Making A Difference (2)

- Digital Democracy
- Skills and Learning
- Health and Care
- Culture and Arts
- Work and Employment
- Cities and Urban Development
- Finance and Economy
- Food, Environment and Climate Change
- Science
- Others

### Digital Technologies To Tackle Social Challenges (2)

(TC1) Improve teaching-learning processes and make them more democratic, accessible and inclusive

**Principles**:

1. *Open data*: Capturing, sharing, analysing and using open data to tackle social challenges;
2. *Open hardware*: Making things with open hardware to tackle social challenges;
3. *Open networks*: Growing networks and infrastructure through technology from the bottom up to tackle social challenges;
4. *Open knowledge*: Harnessing the power and assets of the crowd to tackle social challenges.

**Technologies**:
- Mobile and Web Apps
- Social networks and social media
- Open data
- Crowdsourcing, crowdmapping and crowdfunding
- Open-source technologies
- Blockchain
- Peer-to-peer networks
- Online marketplaces and noticeboards
- Sensors and Internet of Things
- Online Learning and MOOCs
- Digital fabrication and 3D-printing
- Big data
- Geotagging, GPS and GIS
- Digital Democracy Tools
- Wearables and Personal Monitoring
- AI and Machine Learning
- Others

### Networks for DSI

[FabLab Network](https://www.fablabs.io/), [Social Innovation Community](https://www.siceurope.eu/), [Tech for good](https://techforgood.global/), Internet of Things_ architecture, [Transparencee](https://transparencee.org/), [Techsoup](https://www.techsoup.org/?ts_cs_selection=85), Maker Movement, [Impact Hub](https://impacthub.net/), Community network, [Civic Innovation Network](https://civicinnovation.school/), [Netsquared](https://www.netsquared.org/), [CAPSSI](https://capssi.eu/), Innovation, [Code for All](https://codeforall.org/), Ashoka Education, TechSoup Europe,TechSoup Global Network, Disabilities, Eurecat, Xarxa d'Economia Solidària (XES), Global innovation gathering, OuiShare Community, Enspiral, Ecommerce, Connecting Cities Network, Adult education, Education & Training, Higher education, Co-operatives uk, Cotech, EIP ON AHA, Makerspace
Association of Sustainability Practitioners
European Network of Living Labs
W3C
Creative Commons
Open knowledge
European DSI community.
Code for Europe
Edgeryders
Common Purpose
Future architecture platform
International Cooperative Network
Red Iberoamericana de Innovación Ciudadana
Urban art
ARIADNE Project
Swiss FabLab Network
Design for Europe
F6s
Italia Startup
ChiC
Moviment per la justicia climatica
Agrifood
Cultural Heritage
ICT networks
Professionalism
Research networks
School
Social media
Co-operative technologists
Digital charities
ECF
Open charity
Adultcare
EdTech
Education
Academic Writing Company
Patient Information Standard
Hacker
Business
Computer vision
Collaction.org
XES
Super Global
Ruaf
Drupal association
Climate-KIC
Newspeak house
FOIAnet
International Open Data Charter
Civic tech
Street art
Digital Tree
All Digital
Innovation for Inclusion
Next Generation Internet
Repubblica Digitale
Stati Generali Innovazione
TrustLaw
Eisenhower fellowship
Global good fund
International alliance for pediatric stroke
Abrelatam
Alianza Anticorrupción UNCAC
CIVICUS
Comunidad Vota Inteligente
Conexiones Latinoamericanas de Innovación Política
Me Representa
Nova Democracia
Red Chilena de Gobierno Abierto
Red de Innovación Política de América Latina
Red Latinoamericana de Transparencia Legislativa
Disabiliy
Funky Spaces Network
New Economy Organisers Network
What Works Centre for Wellbeing
Coface
Plena Inclusion
SIC
Italian NREN GARR
Grup de Recerca i Innovació en Treball Social (GRITS)
Universitat de Barcelona
Universitat Ramon Llull
EARTO
Souvrin Foundation
ENOLL
Public Service Transformation Academy
Ankara
Maker
Design
Dubai
Fit-out
Interiors
Maintenanace
Renovation'
Aalto University
Levelup Startup
NewCo Helsinki
XEdu
CWIC Innovation Programme
Things Connected
European network for inclusion
Generaccion
Social challenge Innovative platform
Tangencial
Tecnocampus
Valles Innova
HundrED
WeMENA
Alliance for Useful Evidence
European Digital Forum
Readie
Institute of Engineering & Technology
Open Data Institute
International Communia Association
Post Growth Alliance
Blab
FES (Foro d' economia social de la Comunitat Valenciana)
REAS red de redes
UnitedNations
WorldFoodProgramme
CECOP
European Creative Hubs Network
I-wire
International Cooperative Alliance
Albo operatori Sharing Economy | Milano SmartCity | Milan Municipality
Associazione Vivaio | Milano
Assolombarda
MilanIn
SocialFare
Random hacks of kindness
Animation
Charity Commission UK
Tech Trust
SEND
Swiss Design Network
EFC
News
Digital Tools and Participatory Budgeting in Scotland
Civicwise
Open data manchester
Things network
TransparenCEE Network
IHK
Wir zusammen
Education Futures Collaboration
Good Electronics Network
Saarbruecken HCI
Digital Skills Coalition

### Funding Opportunities

#### Grant Funding

- [FundAction](https://fundaction.eu/) is a new participatory fund making grants for social transformation, organized around a community of activists based in Europe to support social movements working towards a transition to a just and equitable world.

### Digital Social Innovation Solutions (from (3))

Innovative tools created for supporting communities in better address pressing social and environmental issues.

#### How to classify projects


## DSI - Through Making

## Target Group of this research ( K12 )

- Students
- Teachers
- Schools Managers

## Questions of this researh
- Define DSI, explain why it is relevant today, and give examples of how it can deliver impact in different social areas.
- Explore growth and trends in DSI across Europe (in K12 area), and seek to understand how projects and organisations are connected to each other.
- Explore barriers to growth and how these can addressed.
- Formal or informal education ?
- One starter point could be DSI integration in school curricula ? Any referent ?
- What is an issue in K12 ? How they live social and environmental issues ?
- Which are the conditions for DSI in K12 ? Formal and non-formal education is a win win context ?
- DSI as mechanism to improve digital competence in teachers.
- How to measure the impact of DSI project ? What does impact mean ? Why should we measure the impact ?

## Random Thoughts - To review if have sense to take in consideration

- How to communicate DSI projects
- Scaling Up DSI projects
- How to integrate them in public services
- K12 projects in DSI
- How to take citizen engagement beyond the early adopters and to mass audience.
- Having a positive impact in your local area
- El que no es mesura no es pot millorar .
- Incrementar la participación del ecosistema educativo a través de plataformas digitales que fomenten el compromiso de las personas sintiéndose parte del proceso. Existen estas herramientas ?
- https://github.com/CitizensFoundation/open-active-voting
- http://www.thegovlab.org/static/files/better-reykjavik.pdf
- Paso 1 seria definir cual seria los stakeholders de un ecosistema educativo.

## DSI K12 - Research Diary

### Reading: WHAT NEXT FOR DIGITAL SOCIAL INNOVATION?
Realising the potential of people and technology to tackle social challenges.

*Oct, 10th*
[Source PDF](https://digitalsocial.eu/uploads/What%20next%20for%20digital%20social%20innovation%20Realising%20the%20potential%20of%20people%20and%20technology%20to%20tackle%20social%20challenges.pdf)

**Output Notes:**

+ *From the Foreword:*
+ Europe depends on millions of charities, foundations and voluntary organisations but only a small proportion are making the most of digital, and they need help to catch up.
+ Create awareness about the potential applications of the hyperconnected society.
+ To be as open as possible, in both technology and society, to integrate new people, ideas and sustainability models.

+ *From the Executive Summary:*
+ In DSI, the most common social areas of activity are Education and Skills; Participation and Democracy; and Culture and Arts.
+ We are far from making the most of the potential in DSI with few examples of DSI achieving impact at scale. Systemic barriers to growth include the availability and accessibility of funding and skills, a fragmented ecosystem and limited uptake of DSI by the public sector and established **civil society organisations** (CSOs).

+ *Recommendations to policymakers and funders:*
1. Support DSI through funding mechanisms.
2. Invest in intermediaries and the support infrastructure for DSI.
3. Invest in and enable DSI approaches within existing civil society organisations.
4. Enable peer learning and the spread of best practice.
5. Conduct further research into the supporting conditions and models for growth and sustainability of DSI.
6. Use public procurement to advance DSI.

+ *From the Introduction:*
+ There are few examples of DSI initiatives growing to deliver social impact at scale, being integrated into public services, or collaborating with established CSOs.

+ *SECTION 1: WHY DSI AND WHY NOW?(pg9)*
+ DSI first initiatives:
+ Open Knowledge International
+ [mySociety](https://www.mysociety.org/9)
+ [Open Knowledge Foundation](https://okfn.org/)
+ [Bethnal Green Ventures](https://bethnalgreenventures.com/)
+ [Comic Relief](https://www.comicrelief.com/)
+ [Tech For Good Global](https://techforgood.global/)
+ [NetSquared network](https://www.netsquared.org/)

+ DSI initiatives benefit from **network effects**. This means that as the size of the network increases, the value to each user increases, and the overall value of the innovation increases by more times than the size of the network. It poses a problem to initiatives in their early stages, as they must reach a critical mass of users before they deliver value and impact to users and beneficiaries.
+ Similar concepts: "Civic Technology", "Tech For Good (UK)".
+ **Digital Democracy** (goals):
+ *Increasing engagement and collaborative policymaking*:
+ To engage a greater number of people in collaborative decision-making to improve both the legitimacy of democracy and the quality of policy.
- https://github.com/CitizensFoundation/open-active-voting
- http://www.thegovlab.org/static/files/better-reykjavik.pdf
+ *Increasing transparency*:
+ Digital democracy initiatives are being used to increase transparency and hold governments to account.

+ **Health and Care**:
+ DSI addressing challenges around long-term care and conditions, through exploring opportunities in open data, open hardware and crowdsourcing patient information.
+ https://www.disruptdisability.org/
+ https://toowheels.org/
+ https://wheelmap.org/
+ http://www.theopenvoicefactory.org/

+ **Migration and integration**:
+ With conflict, poverty and climate change contributing to large numbers of refugees arriving in Europe, the need for innovative solutions to support and help migrants has grown rapidly. While adequate political solutions are yet to emerge, DSI has been able to help the thousands of people requiring access to **basic services** such as **healthcare**, **education**, **identity recognition** and **internet**.
+ **BETTERPLACE-LAB** , *Humanity in a digital world!*. Goal: *promote what makes the digital social.* ~~Map Initiatives~~
+ [MeshPoint](https://www.meshpointone.com/) is an open-source device which facilitatesWiFi hotspots in rugged conditions.
+ [Techfugees](https://techfugees.com/), EMPOWERING DISPLACED PEOPLE WITH TECHNOLOGY.
+ [BASEFUGEES], an open-source platform that matched technology solutions to NGO challenges.

+ **Food, environment and climate change**
+ **Skills and learning:**
+ DSI equips us with new methods of learning and offers the chance for more people than ever to learn a wide range of skills.

### Tool: The Social Innovation Manual
Improve Skills in Design For Social Innovation

*Oct, 11th*
[Source Tool](https://www.silearning.eu/sic-manual-for-si/)

**Output Notes:**
- SIC Learning Repository is a bottom-up tool that support the growth and development of social innovation starting from specific social challenges.
- Modules (Phases):

- RECRUITING SOCIAL INNOVATORS

* *Goal_ identify and attract a large number of social innovators and potential innovators who already have some innovative ideas or have already started developing initiatives, projects and/or products.*
* *Output :*
- 01 Better internal organization and adequate capacity allocation for preparing and executing the Social Innovation competition event
- 02 Understanding and practicing the use of concrete tools for these modules
- 03 Team work and organizational skills
- 04 Understanding and launching a social media campaign and organizing the events

- STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
- Identifying Stakeholders
- Detecting Internal Capacities and TeamBuilding

- IDEATION
- PRODUCT / SERVICE DEVELOPMENT
- PROTOTYPING
- SUSTAINABLE GROWTH AND IMPACT
- FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
- BRANDING AND MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

## Implementing DSI in K12

### DSI Project Based Learning
+ Teams ( Based on the Social Innovation Manual)
+ Budget

### Stages

1. Conocer a las peronas de la comunidad de práctica

## References

(1) **[Stories of digital social innovation | Nesta.](https://www.nesta.org.uk/feature/stories-digital-social-innovation/)**

(2) **[Digital Social Innovation.](https://digitalsocial.eu/)**

(3) **[Collective Awareness Platforms for Sustainability and Social Innovation*](https://capssi.eu/)**
- https://capssi.eu/caps-tool/

(4) **[Social Innovation Community](https://www.siceurope.eu/)**
- https://www.silearning.eu/sic-manual-for-si/

(5) **[Transparencee](https://transparencee.org/)**
- https://peoplebeforetech.transparencee.org/

(6) **[Civic Design Book](https://issuu.com/civicwise/docs/civic_design_1_-_digital_version_sd)**

(7) **[DECODE Project, Giving people ownership of their personal data](https://decodeproject.eu/)**

(8)[Digital Refuggee Projects](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1t82LzxBH5GL2HOnEySZE6irLXLAI6rogJ-r8Cf573yo/edit#gid=547664876)

### Fund Projects References

(FP1) **[Prototype Fund, We Fund Public Interest Tech](https://prototypefund.de/en/), Germany**

(FP2) **[Barcelona Ciutat Digital](https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/digital/ca), Spain**

(FP3) **[Proz-Orro](https://prozorro.gov.ua/en), Ukraine**

### Social Impact Partners

(SIP1) **Ashoka**
(SIP2) **Randstad Foundation**
(SIP3) **Sage Foundation**
(SIP4) **Zalando**
(SIP5) **McKinsey**
(SIP6) **Stifterverband**

### Criticism Technology

(TC1) Escudero, J.M. (2014). Contexto, contenidos y procesos de innovación educativa: ¿el dónde y el cómo de la tecnología educativa? Docencia e Investigación: revista de la Escuela Universitaria de Magisterio de Toledo, 39(24), 13-36.

(TC2) Adell, Jordi, and Linda Johanna Castañeda Quintero. "Tecnologías emergentes,¿ pedagogías emergentes?." (2012).

(TC3) Por una Tecnología Educativa Crítica. Jordi Adell | TECNOEDU
https://youtu.be/ubiEUwd0IZQ

(TC4) Jordi Adell (Universidad Jaume I) - Preguntas claves para una tecnología crítica
https://youtu.be/Set-KNz-NJE

(TC5) Vries, M.J. de (2003). Design matters, and so does philosophy of design. Journal of Design & Technology Education, 8-3, 150-153

(TC6) [International Journal of Technology and Design Education](https://www.springer.com/journal/10798)

#### To understand better the relation between technology and humans

(TC7) Luciano Floridi

(TC8) Bernard Stiegler

(TC9) Peter-Paul Verbeek

(TC10) Andrew Feenberg -> Teoría crítica de la tecnología

(TC11) Don Ihde

(TC12) Pieter Lemmers

### Do-IT Research Papers (DOIT)
https://zenodo.org/communities/doit/?page=1&size=20

(DOIT1)

### Education

(EDU1) [Vuorikari, R., Ferrari, A., Punie, Y., Makerspaces for Education and Training – Exploring future implications for Europe, EUR 29819 EN, Publications Office of the European Union,
Luxembourg, 2019, ISBN 978-92-76-09032-8, doi:10.2760/946996, JRC117481.](https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JRC117481/makerspaces_2034_education.pdf)

(EDU2) https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/research-topic/learning-and-skills

### Measuring Social Impact

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333145234_Measuring_the_Social_Impact_of_Maker_Initiatives_Frameworks_and_Guidelines_for_Scaling_the_Assessment_on_Digital_Platforms

### Equity

By Sally https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ONL_dCOvFNklPd5S2aMLJXnVzlcTKA-M50GU-RxnSt4/edit

## DSI Projects

https://reutilizak.org/
https://www.labdoo.org/es