Youth Social Innovation for Resilient Communities

Youth SIRCle, or Youth Social Innovation for Resilient Communities,is an EU-funded training and capacity building project for young social entrepreneurs in Scotland, Cameroon, Denmark and Ghana. It is a project largely run by young people for young people. Together we increase our skills in green social innovation and entrepreneurship, finding creative ways to follow our passion, make a living and care for our communities and planet at the same time. Our curriculum is based on work done in a previous project, which you can read about here: www.sircle-project.eu.

Our international partnership is made up of the Global Ecovillage Network in the UK, Better World Cameroon, Global Ecovillage Network & NextGEN Ghana , and Andelstanken in Denmark.

Our interest is in empowering young people to start and run Green Social Enterprises, which to us are self-sustaining projects, businesses or organisations that:

• Explicitly aim to create both social and environmental benefits
• Strive for financial independence instead of relying mostly on volunteering, funding or other sources of income.
• Reinvest their profit in things that help them reach their social and environmental goals
• Are value driven and have high ethical standards – both in their mission and business practices.

Check out this video to meet us and learn about how to join the project!

Join us, and take your own green social enterprise to new levels and arenas!

How? By applying to be one of 12 selected young entrepreneurs from around the UK getting a unique chance to grow their green social businesses and explore innovation, sustainability and community-building through an international youth exchange and training.

If successful, you could be chosen to represent the UK in our Youth SIRCle Innovation Labs in either Cameroon or Denmark during spring 2018. There, you’ll work together with other young entrepreneurs from across Europe and Africa and take your social enterprise, and yourself, to the next level.

This opportunity is for you if…

• You are between 18 and 30 years old
• You are a UK resident
• You have a green social business that is more than just an idea
• You want to grow that green social business and explore innovation, sustainability and community-building through an international youth exchange and training

If this sounds inspiring, we invite you to apply before January 7th 2018. Between now and then, we will post short videos explaining more about the project, the training and how to apply. You are also free to contact us at any time on education@ecovillage.org. We are also happy to call you – if you prefer to chat with us, just drop us a line with your number!

This is how it works

• Use our template to present your project and apply to our fully funded short training and mentoring programme
• The 12 winning projects are then invited to join a group of young ecologically minded social innovators and entrepreneurs for:
  • 3 online sessions where inspiring local or international experts in social entrepreneurship and sustainability challenge you with ideas and exercises
  • 2.5 days of face-to-face creative sessions, preparation and group building in the north of Scotland, where you develop and pitch your green social enterprises and together decide which four get to go to Cameroon or Denmark. Your transport, food, accomodation and training fee are all fully covered by the project.
• 4 people from the training get the chance to travel to either Cameroon or Denmark to take part in the week long Youth SIRCle Innovation Labs. Here you’ll work together with other young entrepreneurs from across Europe and Africa and take your social enterprise, and yourself, to the next level.

Dates

• January 7, midnight – Deadline for applications
• January 9 – Selection of 12 projects announced
• January 13 Online Session 1
• January 20 Online Session 2
• January 27 Online Session 3
• February 2 (evening) – 4 Face-to-face intensive and selection of Innovation Lab Participants in Findhorn Ecovillage, Scotland
• March 19 – 26 Innovation Lab in Cameroon
• April 7 – 15 Innovation Lab in Denmark

If you have any questions or want to know more, do not hesitate to contact us on education@ecovillage.org!

The UK Youth SIRCle Team – Tessa, Maria, and Anna