Young Social Innovators – Engines of Social Change

The project aims on one hand to conduct a comparative analysis of Youth Issues, Attitudes and Policies in relation with the social innovation processes from the perspective of various world regions, and on the other hand to promote the recognition of Youth Work by building youth workers’ and youth leaders’ capacity to empower young people for using social innovation in finding local answers to complex social and societal challenges in participating communities.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

1. To understand the Local Ecosystems and raise awareness of the importance of Youth Social Innovation.
2. Build youth multipliers’ and youth workers’ capacity for developing new solutions to pressing social needs.
3. Build youth leaders’ and youth workers’ capacity in Social Innovation Project Management.
4. Empower youth led organizations’ and youth workers for NGO sustainable development through collaborative partnerships and social innovation projects.

ACTIVITIES OF PROJECT

The activities are divided into three main groups.

1. WP1: RESEARCH AND AWARENESS RAISING
   
   

   OBJECTIVE 1 ACTIVITIES

   • A research study at the begging of the project to explore young peoples’ knowledge, opinions, attitudes and tendencies towards social innovation, youth policies, active citizenship and other relevant issues - To be implemented in each partner country - 500 subjects from each country will participate in research (4000 in total).
   • Preparation of country reports based on the research carried out in the partner countries - To be implemented in each partner country.
   • Press Conference in all the partner countries to disseminate the results of the research and to raise the awareness about the action. - To be implemented in each partner country.
2. WP2: CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES
   
   

   OBJECTIVE 2 ACTIVITIES

   • 6-day capacity-building seminar “Youth Social Innovation Projects: Pathway in Finding local answers to complex social and societal challenges" for youth multipliers and youth workers - To be implemented: 3 participants from each organization.
   • Youth Leaders Guide "From Engaging to Empowering Youth – Strategy for Social Change in Your Communities”.
   
   

   OBJECTIVE 3 ACTIVITIES

   • 6-day training for youth multipliers and youth workers “Managing Social Innovation Projects and Finding Support Amongst public decision-makers and other stakeholders to work more effectively in solving public challenges” - To be held in Zadar, Croatia - 3 participants from sending organizations.
   • YOUTH LED PROJECT International Market: Potential of Youth Collaboration to produce Social Innovation” - Awareness Raising International event fully developed and implemented by youth with purpose to inform, engage and empower wider local public by presenting international best practices of social innovation. It will be also a chance for youth to present their countries and local cultures. Market will be held in Croatia. (It will be organized a day after the training).
   • YW Toolkit “Managing Social Change Initiatives and Securing Support of Decision-makers and other stakeholders to work more effectively”.
   
   

   OBJECTIVE 4 ACTIVITIES

   • 2 weeks Job Shadowing Activities depending on partner organization possibilities. Daily schedule of the activities of YWs involved in job shadowing activities would be developed in accordance of Implementation and Monitoring plan and agreed upon all relevant stakeholders (sending, hosting organization and YWs).
   • Action Plan Development and Setting Up of YSI Collaborative Network.
   
   
3. WP3: MULTIPLICATION ACTIVITIES
   • Local multiplication seminars – 1-day events - Topics could be selected by the participants of the first two trainings based on current events and the local situation.
   • YOUTH LED PROJECT: Youth Social Innovation Bank - The Youth Social Innovation Bank will be an official online platform with at least 80 different inspiring stories and it will link young social innovators from the participating EU and partner countries, with the aim to multiply the effects of the project, inviting more young people to become more active in their local communities. It will be the main means to ensure the wider and long-term impact, as well as the sustainability of this project.
   • YWs will select inspiring people (10 stories per partner) who have made remarkable contributions to their society’ challenges such as solidarity, inclusion, democracy or active citizenship. Their stories will be filmed and posted on the online platform.

PROJECT PARTNERS/COUNTRIES.

1. Europe House Slavonski Brod- Croatia
2. Change It- Czech Republic
3. Dejavato- Indonesia
4. International Transformation Foundation- Kenya
5. Brigada- Peru
6. Meritum- Poland
7. VSA- Thailand
8. Taycen- Tanzania