Young people in Slovakia have many opportunities for personal development and career growth, but they show no interest in participation and public affairs. Some have an idea for a project but are afraid to implement it or have no experience how to do it. The project will help young people develop entrepreneurship, which can reduce the percentage of young people leaving the region and increase their employment, which indirectly develops not only the city but also the region.

During workshops, they will also have the opportunity to meet local municipal councillors, entrepreneurs, representatives of educational institutions and other policymakers to help them. The Social Impact Academy is a concept of continuous education for young people. The main objective is to involve them in participation, to allow them to realize their ideas and to capture their strengths. The themes appeal to their participation in public affairs and participation in active civil society. In addition to the workshops aimed at developing the soft skills and hard skills of the participants, accompanying events will be held, which will be available not only for project participants but also for the public. The plus of the project is that it is implemented by young people for young people, which can ensure its attractiveness. The target group are young people, secondary school and university students.

The partner organization, Språk og kulturforening from Norway, is a great example of a project that has a social impact and storm stereotypes not only in youth work but also in community service and will be an inspiration for Slovak organizations. The role of the partner is on two levels. He will act as a consultant for project activities. And it will also bring new perspectives and practices as a speaker at TEDx. During his personal visit to Banská Bystrica, he will organize a workshop on how they work with young people in Norway and what can help Slovak youth to participate more.

Summary of bilateral results

The cooperation with the Norwegian partner was a great benefit for both domestic organizations, which gained a lot. The Norwegian partner brought a new language culture to the project, which not only helped the project promoters but also the participants to improve their language skills in English. The activities carried out by the project were of great benefit in sharing examples of good practice from a partner organization from abroad. Workshops that could be held in the online space had added value for the participants. The cooperation was very beneficial and has the potential for other projects that individual organizations are planning. The partner from the donor country brought a positive wind to the project and with its interesting story inspired not only the participants.

Project details

Project info
Period
2014-2021
Approval date
Grant financing
56347.00€
Final project cost
62207.94€