As the day’s #ozsicamp Twitter activity is reduced to barely a peep, it would seem that all our SI Campers have finally found a pillow to rest their heads on after an incredible, action-packed and sleep-deprived few days. The close of the inaugural ASIX Social Innovation Camp this afternoon exceeded all expectations as our eight ideas were officially released to the world via the web, demonstrating the power of social innovation and the people driving it forward.

While it was clear that every project to make it across the line was a sure winner in our community, our panel of esteemed judges identified three initiatives of particular merit, awarding them a series of generous prizes donated by our mentors and supporters. In making their decisions, the panel explored: how sustainable is the idea? what are the long-term possibilities? and how much did the idea develop over the course of the Camp?

In third place, Emergent Reality’s initiative ISIS, or Interlocked Social Information Systems, aims to merge and synthesise data collected by governments and other bodies with real anecdotal data contributed by the public. This project creates a common vocabulary between these two different data sets, providing much richer interpretations which can be controlled and shaped by the user. The idea developed fromCitizen driven stats.

The 2 Bob’s Worth crew came in second with their next generation take on doing a favour for someone in need, and making yourself available for some good, old-fashioned community service. The site provides an easy-to-use form for people to log jobs they need help with, as well as offering an easily searchable task list for someone with a few hours they would like to put to better use. The working prototype developed at the camp is www.twobobsworth.org.au.

Being awarded the main prize at the first Australian Social Innovation Camp, Refugee Buddy provides an avenue for people to help support refugees within their community by providing them with local knowledge they may not have ready access too. Using a place-based volunteer search, people can register their interest to be buddied with refugees in their community, while refugee service organisations can use the site to partner up buddies with people needing assistance or local support. The site is up and active now at www.refugeebuddy.org, and is waiting for its first buddies to register their interest!

As well as the amazing prizes of time and experience given by our supporters, the Centre for Social Impact also stepped in to offer someone in the winning group a most amazing and unparalleled opportunity – return flights and per diem for one team member to attend a Social Innovation Camp being held elsewhere in the world. We look forward to hearing from Refugee Buddy about who will have this experience. And of course we look forward to seeing where not just these three but all eight SI Camp initiatives go in the near future and are sure that they are on the right path the achieve amazing things.

You can now check the presentations from the winners.

• initiatives
• SI Camp

• LaurenA’s blog