ESC: Gdynia Social School

Social Innovation Lab (SIL) is an autonomous budgetary unit of Gdynia City Hall responsible for developing and supporting innovative social solutions for citizens so as to improve the living standards for all inhabitants of Gdynia – regardless of their age, address and social background. In this process, we are involving local government officials, specialists in various fields and non-governmental organizations. The basis of all our activities is dialogue. Right now, Social Innovation Lab hires 88 workers. The organizational structure of the Unit consists of 11 departments that cooperate with each other. For example, Social Spaces Department, Communication Department, Research and Participation Department, UrbanLab Department and Projects Department. Those Departments are running five programmes which are dedicated for the local society: „Gdynia OdNowa” – revitalization of six districts in Gdynia; Civic Budget in Gdynia – process in which citizens propose projects and decide how to spend a part of the municipal budget; Youth Centre of Social Innovation and Design Wymiennikownia – space which has been created and managed by a local community – young people; Przystań Gdynia, network of Neighbourhood Centres – spaces for the local inhabitants where they can invent and try their ideas, exchange passion with others; UrbanLab Gdynia – open space for dialogue and discussion about the city, space for creating solutions in order to improve quality of life in the cities. We also implement projects in cooperation with public institutions and non-governmental organizations, aimed at specific groups of residents, including social and professional activation or carrying out public consultations. We are coordinating incubation process of bottom up solutions which are improving quality of life both in area of services for dependent people and their guardians (because of disability, illness or age) and in area of social inclusion generally speaking. In Gdynia we are also coordinating activities within international networks: WHO Global Network of Age Friendly Cities and Communities and UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities.