I.N.S.P.I.R.E. Youth - Include New Social Practices In Rural Environment for youth

The youth exchange “I.N.S.P.I.R.E. Youth” aims to bring together 25 young people from 5 different European countries and give them the opportunity to develop solutions for sustainable rural development in the frame of social entrepreneurship. By taking part in the activity, participants will analyze different examples of social business in the field of agriculture that takes into account a positive return to society as social entrepreneurship typically attempts to further broad social, cultural, and environmental goals often associated with the voluntary sector.
We consider social enterprises an alternative business model that generates a consistent positive social, environmental and economic impact on the local community, by providing employment opportunities and by bringing a social value to the goods and services produced. Therefore social entrepreneurship initiatives could be smart solutions for revitalizing the socio-economic life within small communities. By taking part in the outdoor activities such as the annual grape harvest in a rural location and the participation in the processing of food, participants will discover through their direct involvement, the cultural heritage and potential of the rural territory that our ancestors left us. The youngsters will have the opportunity to touch with their own hands the whole process of wine production, honey and cheese in both, old fashioned way and industrial way, leaving them the chance to think about possible solutions of social business in rural areas.

AIMS: Improving the competences of youth in social economy business models, and in approaching social entrepreneurship within their community work as an alternative solution to social, environmental and economic problems for small rural areas.

OBJECTIVES:
We plan to achieve our aim through:
1. Generating a better understanding among participants by providing entrepreneurial learning and bringing to life youngsters’ interest in social entrepreneurship;
2. Prevent youth unemployment by exploring new ways of improving self-employability in different sectors;
3. Facilitate the exchange of methods, tools and practices useful in the development and support of social entrepreneurship among young people and developing participants’ skills in using them;
4. Developing a sense of responsibility among the participants regarding the different ways in which young people can actively participate in the local economy;
5. Improve the intercultural dialogue by working in groups of youngsters from different countries and different cultural backgrounds;
6. Increase the knowledge about mobility projects especially in rural areas.