Empowering of young people as changemakers in the democratic processes of their communities.
Context
By promoting social and civic engagement and fostering democratic participation, the YES-SI project contributes not only to the implementation of the new European Youth Strategy 2021-2027 but also to the necessary change in the face of global challenges towards a society of the future. On the one hand, societies and young people in Europe are facing major challenges for their future, which will have an enormous impact on future coexistence: Climate change, migration and refugee movements and most recently the COVID-19 pandemic. But discrimination against minorities, the growing gap between rich and poor, poverty and social exclusion are already problems for societies. NEETs are particularly at risk of poverty and social exclusion. As a result, they have fewer opportunities to actively participate in social and civic engagement, and they have fewer resources and networking opportunities to change their circumstances.
On the other hand, young people do not want to remain inactive any longer.
Objectives
- To Engage young people by involving them in challenging activities that stretch their abilities, imagination and view of the world and the part they can play in it.
- To Connect young people in networks they would otherwise not know of, that give them a platform for their own ideas, their own aspirations and allow them to say what sort of world they want to live in.
- To empower them with new skills and knowledge, the experience of creating real change, become owners of the social capital they create, and start to realise the value of their own ideas.
Activities
- In each partner country a context analysis will be carried out and a focus groups will be organized with relevant stakeholders to gather further insights for the development of the YES-SI intervention logic;
- One co-design workshop will be organised with educators and youth workers in each partner country for the purposes of clarifying target group needs in relation to the thematic focus of the YES-SI training programme;
- Digital videos will be collected will showing how young people are leading positive change in their communities;
- The YES-SI Changemaker LABS will be organized which will provide an online and offline programme to facilitate the delivery of the YES-SI training modules and enable young people to act and turn their ideas into real-life;
- The YES-SI Game Financial Tool and Gaming App will be implemented and tested for Crowdfunding campaigns;
- the YES-SI Handbook will be prepared to demonstrate the process of developing, implementing and piloting the overall YES-SI methodology.
Resources
- Newsletters
- YES-SI training modules for young people to become active citizens
- YES-SI Game Financial Tool and Gaming App for Crowdfunding campaigns
- YES-SI Handbook to demonstrate the process of developing, implementing and piloting the overall
- YES-SI Youth Empowerment for Social Inclusion Methodology.
Impact
- Greater critical and responsible thinking in each young person and become changemaker;
- Greater knowledge of young people’potential and visions for a better future for the creative resolution of problems of social challenges: YES-SI laboratories will directly involve more than 200 participants;
- 40 success stories of young Changemakers and their mentors and supporters will be shown through YES-SI Stories of impact and inspiration;
- Greater knowledge of the elements of crowdfunding to young people through gamification and edutainment methods;
- Improved social inclusion, a transnational network of Changemakers will be created. More than 40 interested cities will be involved in the project;
Partners
- Verein zur sozialen und beruflichen Integration e.V. (Germany, coordinator)
- STIMMULI FOR SOCIAL CHANGE (Greece)
- 3 INNOVATION HIVE(Greece)
- Asociación para el Estudio y Promoción del Bienestar Socia (Spain)
- Social Enterprise International Tuatha Ltd (Ireland)
- CESIE (Italy)
