Social Work Innovation Lab
Creating and testing people-centered solutions to health and social issues.
We work in multidisciplinary teams to co-design and test new ideas and models for person-centered solutions to the biggest health and social issues of our time.
The Social Work Innovation (SWInn) Lab is a generative space for creativity and collective development that drives iterative learning and innovation. By bringing together social work experts, individuals with lived expertise, community members, policymakers, and human rights leaders, we apply different methods and tools to inform new models of social work practice, policy and research:
- Systems thinking and system dynamics
- Futures thinking and foresight
- Scenario planning
- Forecasting and backcasting
- Mindfulness and creative thinking
- Rapid cycle prototyping
As we continue to build the SWInn Lab, it will serve as a hub of consultation and support for impactful, scalable solutions to address the most urgent priorities.
Key Principles
- Driven by Communities: Co-design grounded in what communities say they need.
- Be Curious: Remain open to new ideas and perspectives.
- Try Stuff and Play: Experimentation and curiosity are key to innovation.
- Reframe Problems: Look at challenges from multiple angles.
- Know That It’s a Process: Progress takes time and iteration.
- Ask for Help: Collaboration fuels better solutions.
- Radical Collaboration: Engage diverse stakeholders for true systemic impact.
- Bias to Action: Move forward with testing and learning.
