KA105«Now is Time»

Goals:

– Increase awareness and sense of social entrepreneurship among young people;

– Strengthen young people’s sense of initiative in the social sphere to support their communities;

– Provide participants with the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary to implement their initiatives;

– Increase participants’ confidence and motivate them to launch social enterprises;

– Enable participants to overcome their fear of failure and improve their positive attitude toward the labor market;

Subobjectives:

– Promote the transnational exchange of ideas and the transfer of skills and see the added value of diversity;

– Promote tolerance, a sense of equality, and solidarity; respect intercultural and non-discriminatory dialogue; and foster social integration.

The project is being developed by five organizations from four different countries: Spain, Georgia, Lithuania, and Armenia. It is based in Granada, within the AGIFODENT operational area. The partner organizations share their expertise in social entrepreneurship with their target groups and bring them to Granada. International mobility is a challenging activity that requires participants to step out of their comfort zones and improve their skills alongside like-minded individuals. Participants increase their knowledge, enhance their skills, and gain experience putting their ideas into practice. They are empowered to be agents of change in their communities and receive support from their sending organizations to develop their personal ideas and make an impact as social entrepreneurs.

«Now Is Time» is based on a non-formal education methodology that includes elements of gamification and game-based learning. Participants learn and experience discussions, debates, teamwork, and brainstorming. They unite around common needs and goals, which increases their team spirit. An international environment fosters a diversity of ideas and guides inclusive social dialogue and promotes solidarity. Participants have the opportunity to learn about each other’s cultures, traditions, and values. Each day of the youth exchange, they organize cultural evenings, exchange traditional foods, and share dances. In this way, they discover new cultures and foster a sense of respect and tolerance toward others.

Youth exchange

This main activity brings together 30 participants, including 15 people with fewer opportunities and 5 group leaders. Nine days are planned to address group dynamics as follows. The first few days help participants get to know each other, build teams, and socialize. Group leaders then lead sessions that help participants understand the concepts of social entrepreneurship. Non-formal learning methods are applied, and entrepreneurial skills are developed. Participants learn the Business Model Canvas, SMART and SWOT analysis, understand how a project cycle works, and acquire basic management and leadership skills. Their theoretical knowledge will be put into practice during activities initiated for the local community of Granada. Participants have the opportunity to visit a local social enterprise and gain valuable information and advice. To maintain sustainable development, participants continue to work on dissemination plans and initiate personal project ideas. This helps establish international cooperation and develop new projects within the framework of Erasmus+. On the last day, the youth exchange concludes, Youthpass certificates are issued, mobility assessments are made, and participants are prepared for departure.

Participant profile

– Participants – Each organization contributes six participants, including a group leader and three individuals with fewer opportunities. The participants represent the partner organizations’ target groups. They are active citizens and volunteers; they express interest in social entrepreneurship and have their own visions for the development of their communities. They are unemployed young people, aged between 17 and 25, and they speak at least an intermediate level of English. They see opportunities in their communities that can then be transformed into social enterprises. They are highly motivated but lack entrepreneurial skills; they lack knowledge of social entrepreneurship, business models, or project management. They like to empower themselves and turn their ideas into results for society.

– Participants with fewer opportunities: People with cultural, social, and economic barriers are invited to participate in youth exchanges. The main challenge here is fostering their inclusion. In this case, a VCT provides an in-depth analysis of their needs; pre-departure training provides enhanced mentoring; youth exchanges utilize non-formal education and play-based learning, and these groups have a welcoming environment where they can feel free to be treated equally. They are aware of the needs of their local communities and are seen as agents of change. Therefore, they are encouraged to improve and implement their initiatives.

– Group leaders – Representatives of partner organizations and/or their target groups. They meet all the criteria to be a participant; however, they are assumed to have previous experience in Erasmus+ activities, more experience in social entrepreneurship, and there is no age limit.

Impact

«Now Is Time» hopes to have an impact on participants, partner organizations, and communities. Participants develop their competencies and develop their social entrepreneurship. They explore the theme; learn business models, project management, and leadership; and put their ideas into practice. Partner organizations enhance their expertise and the quality of their work. The project impacts the local communities where participants implement their outreach plans, and especially the young people of Granada, who come into direct contact with all project participants. Activities are publicized in the media and on television, enabling regional and national dissemination. During the mobility, participants share the values ​​of respect, equality, tolerance, and non-discrimination, which are the EU values ​​to be disseminated. Open spaces and partnership-building activities structure new collaborations and foster international outreach.

Visibility

Opportunities for inclusion are offered to young people, volunteers, and people with fewer opportunities, and it is a real opportunity for them to develop themselves and their communities. Erasmus Plus is promoted locally and internationally. Partner organizations use their social media channels and offline activities to share the results. The project’s aims and objectives are transparent and available to all interested parties. No printed materials will be distributed, as the project is intended to be environmentally friendly. Participants will receive T-shirts solely to promote the project’s visibility offline.

Diffusion

Both participants and partner organizations are committed to leveraging the results. The activities organized range from online to offline, and there are opportunities for personal initiatives. Each organization creates public events for different target groups: local youth and regional organizations. Partners establish partnerships with local newspapers and television stations, where participants are authorized to give press conferences and write articles. Regarding social media, web reports and a YouTube video will be created. Each participant will write a personal article (story) about their participation. Digital guides and toolkits are planned to be published on the Salto Youth Portal and on the partner organizations’ websites.

Assessment

Each project phase has an evaluation program based on Gantt chart reports and Trello boards. During the preparation phase, partner organizations assess participant profiles by interviewing them. The success of the pre-training is evaluated using questionnaires and online evaluation forms. The pre-planning visit includes the overall assessment of its results on the second day, and partners evaluate the quality of their cooperation with qualitative research. The implementation phase includes focus groups, a local project evaluation, a final evaluation, and evaluation using the eight Youthpass competencies. Dissemination activities will be evaluated based on the number of people reached, the number of activities organized, and the feedback received from participants. Overall, all results will be shared with stakeholders through social media pages, and the final report will be submitted to the National Agency.

You can access the project website by clicking on the image!