For Students: Social Innovation with AI Initiative

Step 1: Getting to know the Social Institution#

Task 1.1: Choose a Social Institution and gather information about on their websites, social media, etc.

Social Institution:
Paste the relevant information here:
Sources of information:

Task 1.2: Insert the following prompt on ChatGPT

Use the following information to answer this question about the social institution: 
What is the mission or primary goal of this social partner?
Who are the main beneficiaries of their work?
Which Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) is most closely aligned with the mission or activities of the social organization?
 Here’s the information we have gathered:
[Insert here the information above]

Paste the results from the prompt here:

[IF USING SCENARIO 3]: Task 1.3: Contact the institution. To help you, use the following prompt.

We are university students working on a project that involves collaborating with a social institution. We'd like to contact an organization to ask for their participation or support. Please help us write a professional and respectful email introducing ourselves, explaining our project, and requesting a meeting or collaboration.
Include:
A brief introduction of who we are (students, university, course) 
The purpose of our project 
Why we are reaching out to this specific institution
What kind of collaboration or interaction we are hoping for (e.g., interview, visit, project feedback)
A polite request for a meeting or further contact
Our availability and contact details

[IF USING SCENARIOS 2 OR 3]: Task 1.3: Prepare to meet the institution, by using the following prompt to create an interview script.

We are university students preparing for a meeting with a social institution as part of our academic project. Our main goal is to understand the key challenges the institution is currently facing and explore how we, as students, could contribute or support them through our project.
Based on the information we've already gathered (see below), could you help us generate a list of insightful and respectful questions for the meeting?
Here is the information we have so far about the institution:
[Insert your notes or research here]
Please suggest 8–10 questions that focus on:
The institution’s current challenges or limitations
Areas where external support or innovation is most needed
Ways students can meaningfully contribute through research, communication, awareness, or practical solutions

Step 2: Identifying a challenge#

[IF USING SCENARIO 1] What are some potential challenges this institution might be dealing with? Brainstorm possible issues they could be facing, using the following prompt:

We are students with a background [insert your course/subject here] working on a university project involving a social institution. Based on what we know about their mission and activities, we want to brainstorm possible challenges the institution might be facing.
Consider areas such as:
Funding and financial sustainability
Staffing or volunteer support
Reaching and serving their target community
Communication or public awareness
Legal, logistical, or administrative issues
Technological limitations
Collaboration with other organizations
Next, identify the top three challenges that someone with our expertise is uniquely equipped to solve.

[IF USING SCENARIO 2 OR 3]: Based on your conversation with the institution, what difficulties or obstacles are they experiencing?

Challenges mentioned by the institution:
Choose a challenge you want to address:

Step 3: Optimizing the team#

Who is in your group, and what unique knowledge and skills does each member contribute based on their academic background? How can each member contribute to the challenge?

Task 3.1: List each team member’s name, degree program, relevant skills or expertise, and how they can contribute to the project.

Group member 1
Name:
Degree Program:
Relevant Skills / Knowledge:
Potential Contribution to the Challenge:

Group member 2
Name:
Degree Program:
Relevant Skills / Knowledge:
Potential Contribution to the Challenge:

Group member 3
Name:
Degree Program:
Relevant Skills / Knowledge:
Potential Contribution to the Challenge:

Task 3.2: Insert the following prompt on ChatGPT

We are working on a team project and would like help assigning roles and tasks. Below is a list of our team members, along with their degree programs and key skills. Based on this information, can you suggest suitable roles or responsibilities for each person that align with their strengths and contribute effectively to the project’s success?
Here’s the team info:
[Insert the list here]

Step 4: Brainstorming for a solution#

Task 4.1: Now, focus on brainstorming potential solutions. Use the prompt provided to guide your brainstorming process.

Considering our academic background in [insert your course/subject here], please guide us in using the SCAMPER technique (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, Reverse) to generate 8–10 innovative ideas. These should be adaptations or creative combinations of existing social programs, methods, or tools that are relevant to both the problem and our field of study.
After generating these SCAMPER-based ideas, help us formulate a set of 'How might we…' questions that challenge assumptions about the problem and spark disruptive thinking. These questions should open new perspectives, uncover hidden needs, or invite bold, creative shifts.
Importantly, please ensure that all suggested ideas are:
Feasible for us to help implement or prototype as university students
Relevant to our subject matter and competencies
Adaptable to the resources, time, and institutional context we are working within
Context:
[Insert brief description of the social institution’s challenge here]

Task 4.2: Narrow down the solutions, using the following prompt.

Perform a detailed SWOT analysis for each proposed solution, focusing on long-term sustainability and possible unintended consequences. Then, create a multi-criteria decision matrix to rank the solutions based on feasibility, impact, cost, and ethical considerations. Use this to select the most balanced and practical options.
Context:
[Insert the 3 solutions you have selected]

Step 5: Developing a plan#

Task 5.1: Let’s create a detailed plan for the solution you’ve selected, guided by the following prompt.

We are students preparing to implement a solution for a challenge faced by a social institution. Please help us create a detailed and realistic action plan based on the following key elements:
Objectives & Outcomes – What are our main goals, and how can we define clear, measurable outcomes for our solution?
Tasks & Timeline – What steps should we follow to implement the solution? Who is responsible for what? Can you help us design a timeline that fits a university project schedule?
Resources Needed – What materials, approvals, tools, or support will we need?
Stakeholders & Communication – Who are the key people involved, and how should we communicate with them effectively?
Risks & Contingencies – What are the possible risks, and how can we prepare backup strategies?
Monitoring & Evaluation – How can we track progress and assess whether our solution is working as intended?
Solution description:

[Insert a short description of the selected solution here]

Step 6: Put it in to action#

Task 6.1: Now that you’ve created an action plan to tackle a challenge identified by the social institution, use the prompt below to guide you through the specific activities involved in putting your plan into practice.

"We’re carrying out a specific activity as part of our service-learning project to support a social institution. Please help us plan and execute this activity effectively. Here's what we need:
Clarify the goal of this activity: What are we trying to achieve, and how does it connect to the overall challenge we’re addressing?
Break down the steps we need to follow to carry out this activity smoothly.
Identify what materials, permissions, or communication are needed (e.g., image rights forms, authorizations, outreach emails).
Anticipate potential issues or risks during the activity and suggest how to handle them.
Recommend ways to measure the success or impact of this specific action.
Give us tips to ensure we’re being respectful and ethical in our interactions with the institution and its community.
Suggest how we can document the activity (photos, notes, quotes) for reflection and our final presentation.
Here’s a brief description of the activity we’re doing:
[Insert description of the activity here]"

Step 7: Let’s recap#

Canvas
Problem Statement	Clearly define the problem your solution addresses.
Solution Description	Briefly describe the solution your team has developed.
Target Group	Who benefits? Describe their characteristics and needs.
Context / Setting	Where and under what conditions will your solution be used?
Expected Impact	What positive changes do you anticipate?
Key Activities	What main steps or actions are involved in implementing the solution?
Innovativeness	What makes your solution creative or different?
Resources Needed	What resources, tools, or support does your solution require?
Challenges & Risks	What potential obstacles or risks could affect your solution?
Teamwork & Roles	How did your team collaborate? What were individual roles?
Evaluation / Success Measures	How will you know if your solution works or succeeds?
Elevator Pitch / Tweet	Summarize your solution in one concise, engaging sentence (max 280 characters).

Task 7.1: Use the following prompt to help you fill out the Solution Canvas.

We are university students participating in a service-learning project. As part of this project, we’ve partnered with a social institution that faces a real-world challenge. Our goal is to propose a feasible and meaningful solution that we, as students, can help implement or support.
Please help us fill out our Solution Canvas by guiding us through each section. Feel free to ask us questions, prompt our thinking, or suggest improvements based on what we share.
Here’s what we need to define:
Problem Statement – What is the specific challenge the institution is facing that we aim to solve?
Solution Description – What is our proposed solution, explained clearly and simply?
Target Group – Who will benefit from our solution? What are their needs or characteristics?
Context / Setting – In what environment or situation will the solution be used? What constraints or opportunities are present?
Expected Impact – What positive change do we hope our solution will bring to the institution or community?
Key Activities – What steps will we take to develop and implement our solution?
Innovativeness – How is our idea original, adapted, or creative in addressing the challenge?
Resources Needed – What tools, materials, permissions, or support will we need?
Challenges & Risks – What potential difficulties could arise, and how might we manage them?
Teamwork & Roles – What did each team member contribute? How did we collaborate effectively?
Evaluation / Success Measures – How will we know if our solution works? What will we observe or measure?
Describe it in a Tweet – Can you help us write a short (280-character) summary or pitch of our solution?
Use our responses to help us draft a concise, thoughtful, and complete Solution Canvas we can use for our final presentation.

Step 8: Creating a communication plan#

Task 8.1: Get ready to share your solution. Prepare a short, compelling pitch script to present it.

What’s a pitch? A pitch is a concise, compelling presentation designed to introduce an idea, product, or service and persuade an audience to take a desired action. It’s about distilling complex information into a short, engaging story that captures attention and generates interest.

We need help preparing a 3-minute pitch presentation to explain our proposed solution to a challenge faced by a social institution. Please help us structure our pitch using the following key elements:
Hook (20–30 seconds):
Start with a compelling fact, story, or question to grab attention. How can we immediately show the importance of the challenge?
Problem Statement (30 seconds):
Clearly explain the specific challenge the social institution is facing. Why is it important, and who is affected?
Proposed Solution (1 minute):
Present our solution. What is it? How does it work? How does it address the challenge? Emphasize originality, feasibility, and impact.
Implementation Plan (30 seconds):
Briefly outline how we plan to carry it out, including logistics, responsibilities, and timeline. Mention any student involvement or collaboration.
Expected Outcomes & Impact (20–30 seconds):
What results do we expect? How will this benefit the institution or the community it serves?
Call to Action or Closing (10–15 seconds):
End with a strong statement, insight, or invitation—something memorable that reinforces the value of our work.
Context:
[Insert a short summary of the challenge and your solution here]

Task 8.2: Create a visual presentation using Gamma.

Go to Gamma and enter a brief description of your project. The platform will automatically generate an editable presentation for you.

In the Text Content section, choose:
→ Condense → Detailed

Then, paste the following prompt into the Additional Instructions field.

Generate a 3-minute pitch presentation for a solution to a challenge faced by a social institution. Include:
Hook – Start with a compelling fact, story, or question.

Problem – What is the challenge and who is affected?

Solution – What is your idea? How does it work and solve the problem?

Implementation – How will you carry it out? Who is involved?

Impact – What results do you expect?

Closing – End with a strong, memorable statement.

Task 8.3: Now that your pitch is ready, it’s time to turn it into a podcast to help share and spread your work more widely.

We’ve written a 3-minute pitch script for a presentation about our student-led solution to a social challenge faced by an institution. Help us turn this script into a podcast episode that sounds natural, engaging, and concise.
Please help us:
Adapt the tone: Make it more conversational and warm, while still sounding clear and confident.
Add personality: Include short introductions (name/team/course), transitions, and reflections that help the listener connect with us as students.
Highlight key points from each part of the pitch:
Hook (attention-grabber)
Problem statement
Proposed solution
Implementation plan
Expected impact
Final takeaway or closing message
Suggest music or sound effects that could enhance the listening experience (optional).
Make sure it fits within 3 minutes of speaking time (about 400–450 words).
Ensure the language is accessible to listeners outside academia, including community members or potential partners.
Here’s our original pitch script:
[Insert your pitch script here]
Can you help us restructure and rewrite this into a podcast-ready format?