When you think of innovation, you probably think about slick technology with cutting-edge features. Innovation is exciting and sexy and always seems to be associated with a celebrity genius of some sort.
After attending this week’s La Plata County Economic Summit, where the theme was “Innovation,” I have expanded my thinking to include innovations of many types. At one of the sessions, someone remarked that nonprofit organizations are often behind the curve when it comes to technology. I do not dispute that our computers may sometimes be a bit older, our smartphones a bit dumber, but I do not feel that nonprofits are missing out on the benefits of innovation. Innovation is about new solutions, and I see numerous new solutions being introduced by local agencies.
The Boys & Girls Club of La Plata County has innovated in a low-tech way with their wonderful “Read to a Dog” program. Research shows that the presence of companion animals reduces anxiety when people are trying to perform difficult tasks. We also know that reading or speaking in front of other people can provoke anxiety and impair abilities.
The club partnered with the La Plata County Humane Society to put these two ideas together by providing opportunities for kids to read books to dogs. This unique combination provides a fun, less stressful way for kids to practice their reading skills, which are so important to their future success. I am guessing the dogs probably do not mind the attention, either.
Technology certainly has its place in innovation, but the key is in finding a use that is truly an improvement over the existing way of doing things. In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina, the American Red Cross used its “Safe and Well” website for the first time to track and connect missing people with their loved ones. It has been used repeatedly since that event, most recently during the flood disaster on the Front Range of Colorado. In these cases, technology greatly reduces the power needed to operate such a system and quickly provides the answers people are seeking. It is comforting to know this efficient program is in place in case our local Red Cross chapter should ever need it.
Finally, The Liberty School in Durango strikes me as a place that has innovated its way of thinking. During my first visit to the school, I could not help but notice their “Dyslexia Hall of Fame.” This wonderful hall features successful people who have dyslexia. You may not realize it, but people with dyslexia very often have gifted traits as well. When they learn to successfully manage the dyslexic tendencies, then their giftedness can often take center stage and propel them to success. The reason for the correlation between the disability and the giftedness is not fully known, but by shifting the focus from “fixing the problem” to “maximizing the gifts,” it really focuses on the great potential of each student.
These new solutions to longtime challenges are refreshing. In order to find ideas such as these we have to open ourselves up to change and to possible failure. Kudos to these organizations for having the courage to try new approaches because their innovation makes the community better for all of us.
Lynn Urban is president and CEO of United Way of Southwest Colorado.
