Starting-up new social enterprises

Aim: generating ideas, concepts and models of new social enterprises throuth active participation of young people

Method: brainstorming, teamwork, debate

Description: For this activities, the participants were divided into multinational teams and they had to discuss, debate and choose the following:

- the services and products that their new company will offer the customers,
- the the name, slogan and logo of their new enterprise;
- to create a video, a commercial and a Facebook page for their new enterprise.

They discussed and then they decided what each of them should do, based on the professional qualities of each member of the team. 

Firstly, the participants created a Facebook page of the social enterprise and did all the necessary settings. 

Outcome: Rainbow Cafe, Re-Plastic, Refood, CeraWorld, Unitrade, Fattoria di Vita.

Then, each team created an eye-catching video in order to present the company to the others.

Outcome: Rainbow Cafe, Re-Plastic, Refood, CeraWorld, Unitrade, Fattoria di Vita. 

Study visit into a social enterprise

Beside all the activities implemented through non-formal education, we also had a study visit into a real social entreprise from the region.
Here, the participants had the opportunity to find out the "story" of this social enterprise (how and why it was established, how they did the business plan, how they found the financing) and of course, to get some "tips & tricks" from the initiators of the social enterprise.

Why and how to start a (social) business?!

During this working session, the participants had the chance to share with the others examples of good practices (in matter of social enterprises). Also, they had the possibility to share their point of view about why and how to start a social business.

Aim: to facilitate the communication between participants

Method: acting and editing videos

Description: Participants were splitted in teams. They had to prepare a videos talking about social entrepreneurship, about social enterprises, about good practices in their communities and about why and how to start a social bussines.

Outcome:
- Talking about social enterprises
- Example of good practices
- Social entrepreneurship & social enterprises
- Social inclusion through social enterprises

Youth on the Labour Market

During this activity, each national group had the chance to show the others youths labour market status from their country.

Aim: discovering youths labor market status in the six participating countries

Method: teamwork, presentation, debate

Description: each national team has presented to the others youths labour market status from their country. For these presentations they have chosed different types of presentation such as: writting, drawing, radio news and so on.
Secondly, after all these presentations, we did an brainstoring to identify differences and similarities of the youths labor market in the 6 participating countries and we have discussed (Agora) about the identified issues.

What social entrepreneurship is ???

During this activity, the participants had the chance to show the others their point of view regarding social entrepreneurship. This activity was the very first step to discover this concept which was also the topic of our project. In order to make us understand their perspective on the topic, the participants were splitted in national teams and they prepared their presentations by acting.

Aim: to facilitate the communication between participants and to show the others their point of view 

Method: acting and editing videos

Description: Participants were splitted in national teams. They had to prepare a videos / theatre plays on the topic of the project - social entrepreneurship. 

They had to brainstorm and to come up with the best ideas; they also had to decide on their roles and to improvise on costumes, music and background. In the end, they also had to act the movies / theatre plays in front of the audience (the participants from other teams).
They had different materials to use and were encouraged to express creatively.

Outcome:

1. Bulgaria's theatre play

2. Italy's theatre play

3. Poland's theatre play

4. Spain's theatre play

5. Turkey's theatre play

NGO Fair

Aim: finding more information about the partner organisations

Method: interactive fair

Description: The participants were splitted in national groups, each of them representing the sending organizations. They were given time to prepare their presentations and they were also given materials in order to make promotional materials and to arrange their own space. After all the preparations, it all worked as a fair; the participants went to each organization, asked for information, discussed about the old projects of the organizations, but also about the new opportunities and most importantly, they got contacts in order to collaborate in the future. The two most important results of this activity were networking and partnership building.

ERASMUS+ & YOUTHPASS

There is always a good opportunity to discuss about the Erasmus+ Programme and what it can offer to us, since there is a big lack of information regarding this. That’s why we had a sepcific debate about the Programme, involving question & answers and some personal experiences from the participants, but also concrete information about it, like facts & figures. Therefore we discovered together the new opportunities of merging with other cultures, religions, countries, topics, etc.

We also discussed about the Youthpass certificate; what it means, what skills and competencies it validates and what are the benefits of having such a certificate.

Mission Impossible

Aim: to facilitate teamwork 

Method: teambulding activity

Description: Participants are split in mixed teams and they receive a list with tasks (to take a photo with the people from the town, to find some museum or important building in the area and to take a picture in front of it, to take a photo of a certain statue, to obtain an information from some infopoint etc.). While completing the tasks they discover the community and the area in which the exchange takes place. Through this method, participants will develop teamwork competences and they have the opportunity to interact with local people.

TASKS:

Pictures:
1. Entire team making a human statue of the word „YOUTH” on the beach.
2. Entire team’s reflection in something other than a mirror .
3. Entire team jumping (everyone must be in mid-air for the picture to count).
4. Three pictures involving water in the outdoor environment.
5. Entire team with a local person.
6. One or more members of a team under a public clock at exactly 11:43 AM.
7. Each team take 3 pictures of something that suggests in their vission : social
entrepreneurship (3 pictures) and erasmus+ (3 pictures)
8. Entire team with a flying animal.

Videos:
1. The whole team doing the Macarena dance together in a public place (video)
2. A team member asking a stranger if they will marry them (video/picture)
3. Each team make a short video about social entrepreneurship in which they will be the
actors.

JUMP Activity

Instructions:

• Read all the steps aloud
• You will follow 7 steps
• Everyone gets the same amount of time, this needs to be timed
• Everyone is equal in this process
• Follow each step exactly as it is read to you
• Give each person and each contribution your full attention. Be curious and get inspired byothers
• This group conversation should contain a maximum of 6 people
• Make sure you inform participants about how you keep the time and signal moving to the next person. Read all the steps aloud.

Step 1: The promise

We promise each other the following 3 things:
1.I will not judge myself and others in this group
2.I promise to support myself and others in this group, in the steps we want to take
3.Everything that is being sais in this session will stay amongst the group members

• Check with group(s) whether they can agree to this. Do not proceed if there are doubts orclarifications to be had!

Step 2: Celebrate your success

Inform participants: For this step we will take 2 minutes per person

Read aloud:
“Share a personal success. Something you are proud of, something you did yourself out of your own capacities. It can be something small, or something really big. Everything is ok, as long as you are proud of it. To success belongs applause! That is why everyone will be applauded to after his or her contribution.

So: What are you proud of?”

Step 3: Who are you now?

Inform participants : For this step we will take 2 minutes per person

Read aloud:
“Share how you feel right now. What do you think about, how do you feel in your own skin? You can share an anecdote or keywords. Everything that comes up is good. After each turn the group
members will compliment. Be aware: Do not give feedback or advise. Take care that you are not hiding advise in your compliment.

So: Who are you right now?”

Step 4: Where do you want to go?

Inform participants : For this step we will take 2 minutes per person

Read aloud:
“Share with the others which jump you are willing to make. If that step is not very clear right now, that’s ok. Just share out loud where your thoughts lead you. The others listen carefully to your story. No reactions, no answers, no advise, no feedback. Nothing.

So: Where do you want to go?”

Step 5: Replace and receive

Inform participants : For this step we will take 2 minutes per person

Read aloud:
“In this round you will become your right neighbor. Go sit or stand in his or her place and give yourself (while being this person) the best advise possible. Start your sentence with: “My name is (name of your right neighbor) and the advise I am giving myself is…”. Again, no comments or opinions. We listen to each other carefully. After everyone’s turn, we move back to our old place.”

Step 6: Your next step

Inform participants : For this step we will take 2 minutes per person

Read aloud:
“Decide on your next step: What are you going to do or what will you stop doing? Share this with the group. After each turn, we will reward the courage necessary for this step with a round of applause. Be aware: No words!

So: what are you going to do or stop doing?”

Step 7: Appreciation

Inform participants : For this step we will take 3 minutes for the whole group

Read aloud:
“Tell each other what you are grateful for. It can be anything: Words, people, experiences… You do not need to wait for your turn: Speak whenever you know what to say!”

• Congratulate participants for sharing their steps. Maybe do a short debriefing about howthey feel right now and what this experience meant to them, without them disclosing anyspecific information they have shared in the groups. Finish this session by saying:

“Thank you for participating in this conversation. Use the outcomes for your own benefit. And do not forget:

If we all take steps, society is moving

WALK & TALK Activity

We have called the activity “Walk and Talk” because that is exactly what happens!
It really is that simple. The participants walk outside the activity room, and talk with a partner. Here is how we set it up.

Step one: Number each participant either one or two.

Step two: Ask all the participants who were given the number one to stand up and make a line at the side of the activity room.

Step three: Ask all the remaining seated participants to go and find a partner.

Step four: Give the group a topic to talk about. 

Step five: Demonstrate to the group that you want them to walk in laps around the outside of the activity room and talk with their chosen partner. They will form a long line of pairs and all follow the same path.

Step six: After a minute or two, we ask the participants to stop walking and ask all the people assigned as a number one to move forward to the next partner. They then continue walking and talking.
We repeat this several times until they have walked and talked with all the other partners. 

Non - Formal Activities

The activities planned during this youth exchange included, exclusively, non-formal methods; the aims were to facilitate the process of interconectivity, to activate motivation and creativity, to support the process of decision making and contribution with new ideas, encouraging freedom of expression and tolerance among participants.








All these methods facilitate the learning process and support the development of entrepreneurship competences, the integration and assimilation of the project results and cooperation among young people. The involvement of young people in these activities help them to develop personal and social competences, and also competences for teamwork.

The non-formal methods proposed during the project activities had the objective to develop a participatory attitude, to support the process of refection, to promote tolerance, to support the integration of intercultural differences in the proces of creation and to support cooperation among young


Enegizers: The aim of these activities is to facilitate the getting-to-know-each other, to energize them and also to facilitate the switch between the activities.
Usually these activities are group games that take up to 15 minutes.

Archer, Grandmother & Dragon: The game revolves around the story of an archer, a grandmother and a dragon. Participants divide into two teams and stand in two line, with their backs to the other team. Each team decides whether they will be the archere, the grandmother or the dragon. They turn around to face the other team and mime an action representing who they are. The idea is that: the archer defeats the dragon, the dragon defeats the grandmother, and the grandmother defeats the archer. Sometimes, neither group will defeat the other because they will both choose to be the same thing!