Enhancing youth’s entrepreneurial mindsets

In this project, the participating entities: ALVIT (CZ), Futuro Digitale (IT), Youthfully yours (SK),Permacultura Cantabria (ES), HYP (EL), Green Elephant (PL), Eko Centar Latinovac (HR), Elba (FI), Gain & Sustain (AT) and S ideya za bydeshteto – sport, obrazovanie, kultura (BG), H2O (PT) improved their organisations’ competences, project design tools and international scope by learning about the Dragon Dreaming methodology. The participating youth workers, after acquiring innovative skills, are able to apply them,in their daily youth work, improving, significantly, the quality of their organizations. At the same time, they boosted their motivation, broadened their curricula and, subsequently, achieved the upgrading of their entities providing new strategic visions.

Two participants from each participating entity attended a training course about Dragon Dreaming in Spain during 10 days. The course used a participative methodology, both for theoretical and practical sessions. Entrepreneurial tools and skills were provided to youth workers, together with other soft skills such as like teamwork, alternative organizational and economic modalities and other instruments to boost their future projects’ quality. Participating in this training course was essential for youth workers and project coordinators who wanted to widen their motivation in innovative financing approaches and methodologies for project design. Apart from the main course, several secondary activities took place, so as to maximize and complement it: -A carefully prepared dissemination campaign was performed at all stages of the project. The channels used for this purpose were mostly social networks. The actions undertaken in this process were tailored specifically to captivate media and educational sectors´ attention. Internal workshop, organized and led by the course participants. The purpose of this was to further disseminate newly acquired tools and knowledge, so that other staff members could
also benefit from it; it was also an opportunity for the organizations management to improve the entity by taking under consideration their employees´ ideas and suggestions.
-Upon the training completion, sending organizations Management held a meeting for their managers in order to propose organizational improvements after applying necessary strategic information.
-A follow-up meeting: the course participants and trainers met in order to resolve possible problems or doubts regarding the Dragon Dreaming methodology which they already had implemented in the organizational structure -Quarterly Skype meetings: they allowed space for the participating entities to brainstorm new ideas and approaches regarding further collaboration. It is important to note that the course participants represented different levels of experience; that is, some of them just started familiarizing with the Dragon Dreaming methodology, while
others, involved with the project management, were already able to blend its elements with their daily work. Regardless of this, they benefited equally from the course, given that it emphasized teaching motivational and engaging techniques. The Dragon Dreaming methodology users benefited from it in numerous ways: young people saw their employability, as well as the social inclusion level, significantly improved, especially those of them who were disadvantaged in any way; they benefited principally from the ´active listening´ tool. After completing the training their self esteem and entrepreneurial spirit were also enhanced.
The entities needed to find a way to fit their organizational models and offered activities into the changing, thus continuously presenting new challenges, modern society. Adapting to the new conditions and necessary modernization can be reached by working closely and learning from other organizations; it was thus crucial to receive training in order to comprehend alternative organizational and economic models. Projects developed within the Dragon Dreaming framework are sustainable and applicable regarding all levels, such as economic, social and environmental ones. Societies which
benefit from them are left with a positive mark on their internal structure.

The following objectives were met:

1-To acquire new skills for the development and implementation of new methods for designing collaborative, sustainable and creative projects.
2-The youth and the work of participating entities empowerment by uplifting their employability level, participation and motivation by new skills and tools transfer.
3-To encourage participating youth workers to engage in the training of their organizations’economic and organizational strategies.