1. Innovative Design for Social Change Sanjli Gidwaney August, 2009 sanjli.gidwaney@gmail.com / 857-869-7777 Cambridge, MA, USA
2. About Me The Indus Entrepreneur Co-chair – Special Interest Group focused on New Media Marketing Social Entrepreneurship project involving innovative technologies for underprivileged schools Online Advertising (www.hhcc.com) Assistant Digital Media Planner Worked with creative development teams, managed relationships with partners North American brands: CVS, Chili’s, Mass Lottery Consulting (FiftyP, DailyGrommet, My Little Pakora) Financial education for children Social blogging for grassroots products Organic children’s clothing Matchstick (www.matchstick.ca) Social Media Marketing Coordinator Executed product seeding campaigns which leveraged the existing social networks of consumers to introduce new products and services Global brands: Gillette, Calvin Klein and Coca Cola
3. My Research Interest My Mission Method Find opportunities to strengthen the relationship between Design Firms, NGO’s, Entrepreneurs and Users to create educational tools for children living at the bottom of the pyramid Understand how children can be inspired, through the use of low cost technology and learning tools, to be innovative problem solvers and design thinkers.
5. Why India? Opportunity for significant change Rote Learning Limited opportunities to realize creative potential Interest from design firms Desire to make a difference where it is most needed Rural Community shaping mainstream Products are now being designed for a rural consumer base Innovative culture Thousands of grassroots innovations Entrepreneurial spirit From the billionaire tycoon to the roadside dentist
6. Approach Ethnographic research with educational institutions in India Identify specific needs and opportunities for technology and learning tools to make a difference Build relationships with technology and design firms to adapt existing or build new solutions Deploy solutions in partnership with educational institutions and NGO’s on the ground
8. Ethnographic Research Focus on three specific environments Government schools in villages Privately run schools Innovative teaching institutions To date: Conducted workshops in rural villages in India Volunteered with Boston Partners in Education Opportunities: Agastya Pratham VinayRai Foundation Riverside School
9. Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions Sristi
10. Sristi Sristi NGO founded by Prof. Anil Gupta Focused on grassroots innovations Funded by donations and grants National Innovation Foundation Vet and categorize innovations Students from IIM/IIT help build products Works with private enterprises to manufacture and sell products Sristi: http://www.sristi.org Honeybee Network: http://www.sristi.org/honeybee.html
11. Professor Anil Gupta Professor of Business Management Indian Institute of Management, Ahmadabad India Coordinator SRISTI and Honey Bee Network Executive Vice Chair National Innovation Foundation Mission: Advocate for grassroots innovation, sustainable design and green consciousness http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/~anilg/
16. The ShodhYatra 100 km, 5 days Dahod, Gujarat to Madhya Pradesh Deserts, jungles, mountains and rivers 20 km / day, at least 3-5 meetings with villagers a day
17. Insights from the ShodhYatra Education in rural India Female Empowerment Rural Brain Drain Exploitation Wealth Disparity Industry Diversification
18. Education in Rural India Literacy Rates in Rural Villages Affected by wealth disparity and geographic location Nearly 44% of India’s labor force is illiterate, only 17% of it has secondary schooling, and enrollment in higher education is just 11%. Interesting Facts Concept of Rote learning- not about problem solving Focus on Math and Science- not on creativity Absentee rates for Teachers– 15% Maharashtra and 71% Bihar
19. Education in Rural India Primary School Net Attendance by State (2006) Disparity through country e.g., Bihar vs. Kerala vs. Gujarat Children from poor households are less likely to enter school and far less likely to continue their education after four years of primary school.
27. Education in Rural India Children Can Be Innovative A religious scarecrow to ward off wandering animals
28. Education in Rural India Children Can Be Innovative A fenced system surrounded by plants animals do not eat, with a built in irrigation system.
29. Education in Rural India Children Can Be Innovative The children had trouble thinking outside the box in an abstract fashion. It was due to excessive parental and teacher involvement and control. Children are creative but need to be inspired and probed. They also have the ability to learn quickly.
30. Education in Rural India Children Can Be Innovative One of the children’s creations
32. Education in Rural India One Laptop Per Child One Laptop Per Child I brought two XO laptops with me. It took the kids less than 5 minutes to learn how to use the laptop, take pictures and make music. However, computers are shunned in some villages. Teachers feel threatened by new technology. Some children/adults had trouble with the mouse pad.
34. Technology Design Insights Innovative thinking Man powered wheel to extract water from a well Wind turbine energy to power in home electric fan Design for flexibility Componentization Re-combinability Product modification Technology vernacular Expert creation Word of mouth best practices
42. Agastya Founded by Ashoka Fellow RamjiRagavan Mobile science labs Operating mostly in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu 70,000 teachers, 2 million children affected 200 science experiments, using low-cost tools, make learning fun and illustrate a wide range of concepts and principles
43. VinayRai Foundation Founder of Rai Foundation, first private foundation to open a university More than 11,000 students spread over 40 campuses in 20 cities across India “Innovation cannot be taught, but can be inspired” “Concept of empowerment through access to education” “Create a revolt against slavery and give people equal opportunities so they can have an equal say against a broken system” Billionaire businessman, philanthropist and of the House of Rai
44. Pratham Pratham is the largest non governmental organization working to provide quality education to the underprivileged children of India The average period of contact available with children requiring additional help was not more than 2-3 months Learn to Read: L2R was an accelerated learning technique targeted at teaching both in-school and out-of-school children how to read in 4-8 weeks Already reached 21 million children; 350,000 volunteers; 400,000 teachers and government officials trained
46. 2. Identifying Challenges Intention to spend 6 months in India next year Conduct ethnographic research by spending time with both private and government run institutions Research the pros and cons of existing technologies Share knowledge and work in collaborative team effort to develop best solutions
47. 3. Build Relationships Design firms IDEO Design Continuum D-Rev Challenges Business models Top down versus bottom up
48. 4. Deploy Technology NGO’s Challenges Funding and resources Cluttered environment Designing innovative and adaptive technology Sustainable and scalable model
50. Why Lifelong Kindergarten Exclusive focus on how to inspire children to learn how to be innovative Interdisciplinary approach at the Media Lab “Develop more inclusive initiatives to empower individuals to take control of their own development” - Leo Burd Synergies with Computer Clubhouse Program Focus on how children learn using technology
51. Concluding Thoughts Increase needs without increasing the use of materials Increase consciousness of user needs and consider the social and environmental issues Users must talk about technology in order for it to succeed Developing a community around shared knowledge Marketing has moved from the Four P’s to the Four A's -- affordability, awareness, availability and acceptability -- for rural markets Gandhi’s philosophy of best practices based upon observation creates the most sustainable change
52. Kaka 80 year old man, herbal remedy innovatorHe walked barefoot the entire way
Editor's Notes
My Little PakoraGrameen Bank in Bangladesh, our global network of 58 microfinance institution (MFI) partners, including our Growth Guarantee partners, has touched more than 45 million people in 23 countries
Design Firms (i.e. Media Lab) - Provides expertise e.g., engineering, packaging, portability, researchNGOs- Provide funding, often connect innovator/entrepreneur to design firmFor Profit Companies- Provide ideas, expert at innovation, knows the needs of communityUser- uses products, creates a market, modify product to suit individual needs, spreads viral/natural WOM
