IT-Guide
– en social innovation

Kännetecken för sociala innovationer 

“Sociala innovationer är nya idéer som möter samhällsbehov,
skapar sociala relationer och formar nya samarbeten. 
Det kan vara produkter, tjänster eller modeller som möter ouppfyllda behov mer effektivt.”  (EU-kommissionen)

  • Fokus på nya lösningar och innovationer  
  • Nytänkande metoder, verksamheter och samarbeten  
  • Vill förbättra människors livsvillkor och lösa samhällsutmaningar  
  • Lösningar där systemet/samhället ännu inte har kunnat erbjuda en lösning  
  • Ofta gräsrotsinitiativ, men kan även uppstå på samhällelig och systemnivå  
  • Organisationer har ofta en hybridform  
  • Aktörer arbetar ofta över sektorsgränser  
  • Involverar människor som berörs av utmaningarna och använder användarcentrerad design och experimenterande lab metoder 

Varför behövs sociala innovationer?

En sociala innovationer innebär ett nytänkande av metoder, verksamheter och samarbeten för att förbättra människors livsvillkor. Vi har fokuserar på nya lösningar och samarbeten genom att utgå från ungdomars behov av integration på gräsrotsnivå i kombination med partners från olika sektorer i samhället.

Genom att bjuda in till samarbeten och samskapande över sektorsgränser och tänka utanför traditionella system, stuprör eller silos, kan vi bli mer innovativa och förändra samhället i en mer inkluderande och hållbar riktning. Komplexa problem som de globala målen och Agenda 2030 gynnas av att många olika aktörer bidrar till att förstå och hitta lösningar på dem  – inte minst behöver de människor som direkt berörs av utmaningarna involveras och komma till tals.  

IT-Guide and the Sustainable Development Goals

IT-Guide’s mission is twofold. We support  young immigrants, as most of them never  interact with Swedish natives outside  of school and therefore have difficulties  learning the language and about Swedish  society. We also help seniors understand  and benefit from IT trends.

The young  immigrants and seniors meet at internet  cafés and other meeting places, which is a  good opportunity for elderly people who  need help with specific technical issues or  want to learn more about IT technology  in general. Helping two groups of people  grow simultaneously creates a win-win  situation, and we also provide an opportunity for interaction across generational  boundaries. 

SDG 1: No  Poverty. Most young immigrants arriving  in Sweden have no economic resources.  By joining IT-Guide, they get paid to pro vide technical support to the seniors and  simultaneously get introduced to their  first job and inspired to continue their  studies. 

SDG 3: Good  Health and Well-being. By introducing  young immigrants to Swedish society and  helping them understand the society they  live in, we help improve their well-being  and mental health. This contribution also  has a wider impact, as the positive effects  tend to spread to the young immigrants’  families. 

SDG 4: Quality Education in several ways. When new immigrants  join, they receive 20 hours of training  where they learn to work together in  teams dealing with technical challenges.  Moreover, once they start as technology  guides, they often want to learn more  after every coaching session to be able to  help the seniors with their technical prob lems. The interaction between the elderly  and the young immigrant includes a  natural language component as well. As a  long term impact, many of the guides get  motivated to pursue a career in tech and  take initiatives to hold their own courses not only to seniors but also to other immi grants in their own language. 

SDG 5: Fifty percent of the immigrants with  whom IT-Guide works are girls. We  ensure an equal gender representation  in everything we do, from recruitment  to coaching. Once new female guides  are recruited, it is usually their first job  opportunity in life. Moreover, as the  genders are usually strictly separated in their home countries, this is also often the  first time the boys and girls get to work  together in groups. The girls who are very  active in IT-Guide as team leaders and  coaches for other guides offer valuable  inspiration to other immigrant women,  encouraging those who have never been  interested in IT technology to learn more  about it.

Goal 8: Decent  Work and Economic Growth. When the  young immigrants are new in Sweden,  they need motivation to educate them selves, which can be very difficult. By  providing them with a job and a purpose,  their motivation to study increases. Our  goal is for all guides to complete high  school, which significantly improves their  chances of finding employment.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities is at the very  core of what we do. We want all people to  learn and be included in society through  improved digital literacy. By learning  more, both the IT-Guides and the elderly  gain a better understanding of society.  Central to this goal is also that IT-Guide  serves as a meeting place for two groups  of people that would otherwise not  meet. By helping the immigrants earn an  income, their economic inclusion is also  improved.  

SDG 16: Peace, Justice  and Strong Institutions in two ways. By training seniors, we increase their  participation and access to information  available online. In addition, the coaching  gives the immigrants a chance to talk to  seniors and gain information from them  about how various things work in Swedish society.

Positive direct impact

Goal 4: Quality Education 
Goal 8: Decent Work  and Economic Growth
Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities  

Positive indirect impact

Goal 1: No Poverty 
Goal 3: Good Health  and Well-being 
Goal 5: Gender Equality
Goal 16: Peace, Justice  and Strong Institutions
Goal 17: Partnerships for  the Goals

* Integration Solution Report, SDSN Northern Europe Publication 2018:1

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