Since the end of 2021, we started the implementation of Social Innovators Practitioners training programme emphasizing on the role of Civil society organisations (CSOs) in the design and implementation of social innovations, which contribute to overcoming significant challenges modern societies face.
The programme targets 150 young people to be trained in 150 academic hours training, encompassing both seminar activities and individual and group assignments. Each participating learner acquires a specific set of knowledge, skills, and attitudes (learning outcomes) in the field of social innovations and social entrepreneurship.
We are happy to announce that 37 young people took part in the first group graduating the programme, entirely online, in ZOOM, due to Covid-19 restrictions. The teams training was organized in four modules as of the Social innovators training programme:
- Teamwork and social innovations concept
- Empathy. Problem definition
- Persona map. Ideas development
- Ideas pitching and feedback
During the first module, we have emphasized on the role of social innovations in society, also presenting a case study by one of the most active NGOs in the field of women empowerment – PULSE Foundation. In addition, social innovations role play was organized in an interactive platform dedicated to soft skill training online with simulation games. The teams were formed and were trained in brainstorming social challenges. The module finished with feedback from participants and follow up tasks to be implemented offline.
During the next modules, the teams worked on problem definition based on the concepts of empathy and values. These concepts were trained by working in smaller groups and in plenary by the means of storytelling and group debrief methods. The main methodology applied was design thinking which led to practice what they have learned in smaller groups, based on learning by doing method.
All teams continued with their training in the rest of the modules as well as offline and presented their prototypes in the end of the training with 4 min presentations before a jury.