Big year of impact with social innovation
For more than a decade, social innovation has been central to how CQUniversity empowers students as changemakers, and connects with community for social impact.
The Office of Social Innovation (OSI) drives consultative and creative projects to build capacity for innovative and entrepreneurial problem-solving, to tackle complex problems.
As they wrap up another big year, Social Innovation Program Managers Steve Williams and Sara Brown share some 2024 highlights, across community-building, sustainable change, and social enterprise success stories.
What was your CQU Social Innovation highlight of 2024?
Steve Williams: My highlight of the year has been the incredible engagement in the Townsville based Q-SEED project by young people, many of whom have experienced difficult situations in their short lives. They have turned up, been present, contributed greatly, and listened intently to others during our workshops. Their efforts, together with the contributions of employers and youth support organisations offer a pathway to designing new employment solutions with young people in a region that often gets a bad press.
Sara Brown: Joining the Social Innovation team has been my highlight! This role has been so incredible so far, since February I've worked with amazing community members to create real impact across Queensland, and connecting with a broad range of super interesting colleagues is such a treat, and makes coming to work every day a real joy.
Can you share an unexpected impact the team achieved?
SW: An unexpected impact was the involvement and learnings of a librarian in a regional centre in some co-design workshops we ran this year. In an end of project interview with OSI's Research Assistant Ruby Smith she explained how she is viewing the lives and engagement of library users differently as a result of her attendance at the workshops, and that she will incorporate elements of co-design into her working life at the library.
SB: An unexpected impact was the relationships I was able to make with young people in the Q-SEED project in Townsville. By picking them up and dropping them off after workshops, I not only significantly improved my Townsville geography, I also got to know a lot of the young people outside of the context of workshops. Flicking through formal photos, hearing about their families and listening intently about everyone’s dream pets was a really nice, personable addition to the relationships we were able to build during the project.
What was the best connection made?
SW: My best connection has been my new colleague Sara Brown as a fellow Social Innovation Program Manager. Sara has brought fresh energy and enthusiasm to the team, new skillsets, an infectious curiosity, and a desire to achieve best practice in changemaking. The university and the communities we work within are lucky to have Sara on board.
SB: This role feels like it is all about connections, and it’s something I really value about working in the Office of Social Innovation. If we don’t have time for connection, we don’t have time for our projects!
What's a message that moved you?
SW: The design consultancy Portable wrote about the importance of understanding the effects of trauma when working in design work. They said: “Making it safe to show up is one thing; making it safe to participate is another.” This quote resonates deeply with me as I continue to learn more and explore what it means to work in trauma informed ways in social innovation.
SB: We have been exploring some interesting new projects for OSI in 2025 (stay tuned!!) and during one of these conversations with a small primary school making a big impact in their community, I remember literally tearing up about the incredible work of this school community. The teachers and support team were going above and beyond to support students and their families through some really difficult times in our current economic climate. I think the big realisation for me is how often people are doing incredible things, and they don’t even realise how wonderful they are!
Finally, what's a highlight from outside of work?
SW: My outside of work highlight was meeting my youngest daughter in India while she was travelling there. We spent time in Nainital and Rishikesh in the north visiting ashrams, eating incredible food, and meeting the wonderful hospitable people of the country.
SB: Watching my little baby grow into a toddler, and starting to get more of an insight into his wonderful wee brain as he learns to talk and express himself more!
The Office of Social Innovation helps clients and community partners solve complex problems, through co-design, capacity-building and leadership development. Learn more at the Office of Social Innovation website.
CQUniversity is Australia’s only university certified as a social enterprise. This means that when you procure quality goods and services from CQU, you are changing lives and buying social impact in the same transaction.
