Rachel Switzky of the Siebel Center for Design at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign developed a human-centered design strategies workbook and workshop that the IIN’s Social Innovation Working Committee has held multiple times, most recently in May 2026.
The Social Innovation and Impact Seed Grants program has awarded funding to 10 projects totaling $560,000 dating back to 2023. Summaries of those projects are below:
‣ Building an Entrepreneurship Support Organization: Post-Academy Services, Regional Site Evaluation, and Human Centered Design for Breakthrough Business in Greater DeKalb and Beyond
Sean Park, program director, Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, Western Illinois University; Chad Glover, executive director, Opportunity DeKalb; Furkan Gur, associate professor of entrepreneurship, Northern Illinois University; Danita Sims, director of programming and community development, Opportunity DeKalb.
‣ Connected Stories: Sustaining Lifespan Digital Literacy in Rural Illinois through Intergenerational Digital Storytelling in Public and School Libraries
Anna Smith, associate professor of teaching and learning, Illinois State University; Chris Merrett, dean for innovation and economic development, WIU; Sarah Phelps, director of computer science and STEM, Learning Technology Center; Eric Sheffield, dean of the College of Education and Human Services, WIU; Chang Su-Russell, associate professor of human development and family science, ISU.
‣ Illinois Youth Media Innovation Network
Angela Aguayo, associate professor, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Julia Rendleman, assistant professor, Southern Illinois University Carbondale; Reginald Hardwick, news and public affairs director, Illinois Public Media; Zena Madison, founder, Breaking the Cycle; Denise Zaccardi, executive director and founder, Community TV Network.
‣ Enabling AI-Powered Personalized Learning for Neurodivergent Students through Physiological Monitoring and Cognitive Profiling
Abdelmounaam Rezgui, professor of information technology, Illinois State University; Elham Buxton, associate professor of computer science, University of Illinois Springfield; Elahe Javadi, associate professor of information systems, Illinois State University.
‣ CONNECT Companion: A Community-Based Participatory Project (CBPP) Using Human and Prescriptive AI Interaction to Enhance Social Support for Older Adults in Illinois
Anitha Saravanan, assistant professor of nursing, Northern Illinois University; Will Lewis, assistant professor of information systems, Illinois State University.
‣ Unveiling Black History: The African American Heritage Trail in Cairo, Illinois
Magdalena Novoa Echaurren, assistant professor of urban and regional planning, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Julia Rendleman, assistant professor of journalism, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
‣ Building a More Inclusive Democracy: Enhancing Nonprofit Capacity for Civic Education and the Mobilization of Marginalized Youth in Illinois
Julie Langer, assistant professor of public administration, Northern Illinois University; Kelly LeRoux, professor of public administration, University of Illinois Chicago
‣ Journeys to Justice: Commemorating and Memorializing the History and Legacy of Anti-Black Terror in Illinois
Devin Hunter, associate professor of history, University of Illinois Springfield (UIS); Lesa Johnson, associate professor of sociology and anthropology, UIS; Tandra Taylor, assistant professor of history, SIUE; Peter Cole, professor of history, Western Illinois University.
‣ What’s Left Behind? A Documentary About African American Mothers on the South Side of Chicago Who Have Lost Children to Gun Violence
Ruby Mendenhall, professor of sociology and African American studies, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); Lisa Butler, CEO, herVoice Films, Inc.
‣ Grant Development Capacity Building and Technical Assistance
Courtney Breckenridge, research fellow, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE); Diane Cox, director of grant development, SIUE; Maggie Ervin, specialist of alternative credentials and credit, SIUE; Natalie Whitman, coordinator of alternative credit and credentials, SIUE.