Civic Innovation Change Lab
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What is the Civic Innovation Change Lab?
Are you looking for a very unique learning opportunity where you can build real-world skill sets solving an actual problem in the community?
Civic Innovation Change Lab is the program you’ve been looking for!
Change Lab has been running at SFU since 2011. These unique, once-in-a-degree studio programs are intensive opportunities to hone your skills at developing practical solutions to real-world challenges.
“Civic innovation” refers to a method that improves the lives of citizens, the functions of cities, the practice of citizenship, or the state of community affairs. This course weaves together advanced knowledge in civic issues, social innovation, and social entrepreneurship. Students delve into the core practices of dialogue, design thinking, and business model development to become capable of producing impactful social innovations in the city of Vancouver.
Civic Innovation Change Lab runs yearly during the spring semester.
Lab theme: Neighbourhood Resilience
Resiliency refers to our ability to adapt or recover from difficulties; to be tough. When we refer to resilient neighbourhoods, we include economic, social, and environmental perspectives, as each is necessary to support the others. The quest of neighbourhood resiliency is to build strong, diverse, and dynamic communities where residents can meet their human needs within the constraints of our socio-ecological system.
While resiliency will look and feel differently in each local context, examples of what it could include are:
- Fostering social cohesion
- Developing more localized economies
- Producing and distributing food locally
- Transforming our lifestyles to tread more lightly on the environment
- Finding new ways to include marginalized groups (eg. seniors, folks with disabilities, etc.)
- Engaging more citizens within decision-making processes
In the Civic Innovation Change Lab, students’ projects will respond to the challenges faced within City of Vancouver neighbourhoods and explore community-oriented solutions that engage citizens and build local resilience.
Program Information
Program overview
Ideal applicants
3rd or 4th year SFU students from any discipline who:
- are interested in a unique, experiential, group project-based program
- are interested in addressing real-world issues
- have keen curiosity and a willingness to explore and deepen their own leadership skills
Personal learning and leadership
Ideal Change Lab students come in with keen curiosity and a willingness to explore and deepen their own leadership skills. Individual reflection and journaling are part of the course. Participants will be challenged to both give and receive feedback from peers and instructors. Openness, vulnerability, and the ability to listen deeply are highly valued.
The workload
Commensurate with 9 credits, you should expect this to be an intensive experience. Many students have described the program as the most transformative of their undergraduate degree – but you have to be interested in and committed to:
- developing and testing real ideas,
- getting out of the classroom and talking to people, and
- taking responsibility for the direction of your learning during the term.
There isn’t a lot of mandatory reading or information to memorize – you work with us to figure out what you need to learn to effectively advance your project.
The content
Some of the topics you will learn about are social entrepreneurship, systems thinking, civic issues, public and user engagement, dialogue, business model development, personal development, effective teams, and more.
Credits that you are awarded are:
- BUS 453 (Sustainable Innovation) – 3 credits
- BUS 494 (Iteration and Prototyping) – 3 credits
- DIAL 461 (Field Placement in Dialogue and Engagement) – 3 credits
Schedule
Dates: The program runs every Spring Semester (January – April).
Official class times:
- Tuesdays 10:30am – 5:20pm
- Thursdays 2:30pm – 5:20pm
*Spring 2021’s Civic Innovation Change Lab will be run online.
How to apply
Civic Innovation Change Lab Admission Requirements
You do not need any past business or health experience to thrive in this course! Expect your changemaking peers to bring a variety of perspectives from departments and faculties across the university, a breadth of experience from their own lives, and a shared passion for social and environmental issues.
While we value experience in social change, leadership and project creation of all sorts, we also encourage anyone excited about the description here to consider applying.
- 60 credits
- 2.67 GPA
- Some relevant work or volunteer experience
*Admission requirements may be waived.
Submitting your application
Please email your application to change-lab@sfu.ca
Include a letter of interest, not more than 350 words, summarizing why you would like to take part in this program in your application email.
Attach the following two documents:
- A recent copy of your CV/Resume;
- An unofficial copy of your transcripts
Deadline to apply: TBD
Project spotlight
Cultivate Inclusivity
Cultivate Inclusivity supports communities by connecting employment agencies with employers to uplift individuals that face barriers to employment.
The Coop
A platform that optimizes the way parents explore, compare, and arrange care for their children.
The Team
Meet the RADIUS team behind the lab
The Civic Innovation Change Lab will be stewarded by the following team of individuals. This team will also invite in a variety of guests from the local community.
Tamara Connell
Tamara is a queer white settler woman who has called British Columbia home for much of her life. She is a partner, friend, daughter, sister, auntie, colleague and enthusiastic pumpkin-carver. Tamara’s background is diverse, but nothing compares to teaching, coaching, and mentoring within educational settings. Through facilitated training, games, simulations, and workshops, she aspires to create engaging learning and engagement opportunities. Tamara is a former RADIUS SFU staff member, current Network Development Lead at CityStudio Global, and founder of her own consulting company. She is a certified personal coach and a LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methods facilitator.
Tim Ames
Tim is responsible for implementing the collaborative strategic direction of both Plan Institute & PLAN, a role that he has held for five years. Tim has also served as a community connector for PLAN, sat on the Plan Institute board, and worked for three years as General Manager for Tyze—an online personal networking service and a certified B-Corp Social Enterprise developed by PLAN. Tim also teaches Sustainable Innovation and is a Mentor in Residence at Simon Fraser University and the Venture Connection. Before working In the Not for Profit sector, Tim was the Managing Director and Vice President of an international technology company and worked in Canada, the USA and Europe. Tim brings over 25 years of business, sales, management, and personal development experience and is passionate about helping people and organizations create success and sustainability.
Watch
The Change Lab experience
Questions?
If you have further questions about Civic Innovation Change Lab, please email change-lab@sfu.ca, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Past cohorts
SPONSORS and PARTNERS
Making the Civic Innovation Change Lab possible
