The project “Act4Impact” is implemented by 3 youth/civil society organizations from Ukraine, Germany and Croatia. The aim is to promote social youth entrepreneurship in two directions: Partners will exchange and share know-how for equipping young people with key competencies and notably entrepreneurial skills which will enable them to better take advantage of opportunities and to develop and use their human capital for income generation, self-development and social inclusion. Specifically, project activities aim to empower and qualify young people to develop and implement their own social enterprises with the support and guidance of qualified experts. Main activities are 2 mobilities of 10 youth workers from DE and HR to Kiev as a kind of job shadowing mission and 3 youth exchanges to UA, HR and DE. In addition 2 coordination meetings with 15 staff each will take place in DE and HR.The most innovative aspect of the project will be the implementation of a concept for “International Social Innovation Hubs” in all partner locations, which are on-line platforms for communication, co-working and sharing of business ideas as well as all different materials. This international platform that brings together social entrepreneurship expertise is seen as significant added value, as similar projects in different countries can learn from each other and alliances can be built. The Hubs will be focal points for entrepreneurship education in Ukraine, Croatia and Germany bringing together organizations and individuals from both the public and private sectors with strong records of accomplishment in entrepreneurship education at regional, national and European level. The Hubs will be designed as spaces where youth, youth workers and other relevant stakeholders can work collectively to increase levels of entrepreneurial activities for young people across Europe. And the Hubs will provide a platform for sharing and disseminating programs and initiatives aimed at creating one global entrepreneurial ecosystem. As starting point of the Hubs partners will organize local incubator programs directly involving 150 youth from UA, DE, HR.A new civil and economic thinking which is propagated by the project will increase social responsibility of entrepreneurs and foster synergies and new forms of cooperation by increasingly closing the gap between the youth sector and the business world.Even after completion of the project, partners will actively promote sharing and mainstreaming of innovative approaches and products deriving from transnational cooperation with the help of the hubs. This will foster innovation in youth work and entrepreneurship education by initiating a pan-European entrepreneurial learning initiative which will bring together existing European and national expertise, in line with proposals included in the Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan.
Ukrainian Social Academy (USA) is a non-governmental, non-profit foundation that aims to provide high-level formation of future Ukrainian leaders and social entrepreneurs, which is to be based on social ethics and develops an intercultural and interpersonal communication, and is aimed to make a significant contribution to society. We design and support innovative ideas and solutions that tackle contemporary societal challenges.Our Mission: Develop professionals who achieve social impact by creating new models of education and training that enable people to develop new practical skills and experiences for their professional toolkit; a personal understanding of their own leadership journey; and the global networks necessary for long-term career success.Our Vision: Education for Societal Change We exist to encourage and empower individuals and communities to start their social businesses or strengthen their existing ventures that aim at solving the most pressing issues and contribute to the common good.During previous years Ukrainian Social Academy piloted the School for Social Entrepreneur (SSE) in Ukrainian regions, which confirmed the need and interests in such programs among young groups, as well as the Orientation and Leadership Programs for students in Ukrainian universities and Social Innovation Management for organizational development for leaders of social initiatives, CEOs of non-governmental organizations and experienced social entrepreneurs aimed at solving social problems. Ukrainian Social Academy encourages initiatives to support non-formal learning, leading to increased capacity for innovation and creativity of the youth and the unemployed, helping especially vulnerable groups of young people to unfold their personal and professional potential and at the same time striving to enable young, innovative social entrepreneurs to play a bigger role in the social and economic transformations in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Social Academy will continue the development of our projects in two areas: School for Social Entrepreneur (SSE) and Social Innovation Management, which will provide an interdisciplinary approach, practice-oriented, international experience, and work-based education to encourage and qualify young individuals for entrepreneurial activities. The Ukrainian Social Academy also maintains close relations with national Universities, other NGOs and relevant ministries, public authorities, educational institutions, and private companies/SMEs.