Activity-7: Youth Exchange – “Enterprise your idea”

Youth activity took place in Telavi, Georgia from 20 to 28 of October. Participants were gathered from 6 European countries such as Armenia, Georgia, Italy, Moldova, Spain and Ukraine. The main aim was to develop participants creativity and motivation and to empower them to identify business opportunities, motivate them to put their ideas into practice and develop their creative thinking skills, soft skills and proactive behaviors. The youth exchange activities focused on:

developing participants ability to use strategy innovation process as a new way of linking creativity and strategic planning to discover new business opportunities.
enhancing on a long term the creativity and sense of initiative of the participants with the help of specific tools
develop participant soft skills competences along with critical thinking abilities

Curriculum was focusing on creating safe space for cultural and knowledge basted exchange with the aim of maximizing g learning outcomes in innovative Entrepreneurship. Participants got to know each other and day by day intensified exchange on different levels. Starting from Ice-breaking participants started sharing few things about themselves and create cooperative atmosphere. This enabled leaders to go deeper and introduce teamworking exercises in order to solidify bound between participants.

As exchange kicked off program moved to more intense phase and topic of creativity and design thinking were introduced to participants. Brainstorming on different ideas and thinking creative applications for outdated objects were one of the tools used for amplifying and awakening participants creative abilities. Participants where provided with opportunity to dream about future and how world may change, what are the possible challenges and how would future entrepreneurs will be like, answering those challenging.

In the middle of this intense program leaders organized cultural day out for participants to breath out, change environment and deepen their knowledge about host country and its culture. General feedback was very positive as this day was relaxation for participants brains and gave them second kick for next days’ work.

Final phase of the program was practical application of gathered knowledge, using all their creativity, entrepreneurial spirit and leaders’ assistance, participants started working on business idea development. They generated ideas, grouped according their common interests and started developing their business plans from idea to action plan. Working on every aspect of business planning became one of the most valuable outcomes together with multicultural awareness that participants gathered.

Other then steps mentioned above, program included non-curricular activities such as cultural evenings, enabling participants to present their countries to the others, sharing some interesting facts, creating quizzes and offering snacks and sweets common for their cultures.

With decision of leaders simulation game “Yepen” was conducted to help participants understand world around them better, jump in the roles of different actors (Governmental, Business, Non-governmental organizations), in order to see different perspectives and experience real life processes in safe space.