Our purpose…

The purpose of this NETWORK is to create an action learning model for formal and non-formal educational institutions to build community based entrepreneurship programs, fostering collaborations between students and youth in underprivilege communities.

The Community-based Entrepreneurship Action-Learning Network, aims to extract “good practices” and tools from creating learning spaces shared by communities, youth and educational institutions, that can propell community-based social entrepreneurship. Using as a pillar the succesful Brasilian methodology, the Oasis Game and Elos Philosophy. During the project we run pilot programs that will be lead and implemented by our 6 partner organizations in 5 countries. Exchanging learnings, adding existing experiences and tools, to collectively build an innovative and strong curriculum to be available and spread in current and new countries.

We see that in current social-economical contexts accross Europe there’s a strong need from and for youth to take the future they desire into their own hands. Firstly a job is not guaranteed and an entrepreneurial attitude is more and more demanded, even by future employers. In 2013, unemployment rates for 15-24 year olds were, for example, upto 15% in Holland, 55% in Spain.

Secondly the complexity and the amount of social and environmental challenges that youth will be facing in Europe currently and in the future demands a new attitude, knowledge and experience for youth. Youth seems to be even more engaged socially than ever before, but is facing the reality that the amount of financial resources to continue projects is deminishing and that entrepreneurial, innovative and cross-sectoral collaborations are needed for sustainable impact. Thirdly awareness has grown that challenges are not anymore in developing countries, but we need to be active locally on community level, dealing with the many intercultural challenges our continent offers.

At the same time we see that current educational institutions are looking for innovative, inclusive and practical modules beyond regular curriculum and offer real-life learning opportunities. For our future generation to face the challenges on social-, ecological and economical level that lie ahead, we see an increasing need for youth to learn by putting their talents, dreams and desires into actions, knowing that by doing and trying they learn most. Learning is becoming something that is life-long and there’s a huge growth in awareness that we can learn a lot from eachother.

CEAL-Network draws its inspiration from Instituto Elos Brazil who’ve developed programs in communities with young citizens with fewer opportunities and students where jointly they realize projects that support community development, personal development, yet also have an income generating aspect. This program is called ‘communidades emprendedoras’, takes 12 months and is based on the Elos philosophy. All participating organizations in this call have been trained in the Elos philosophy and apply this in their daily practice, in communities and/or education programs, adding their own expertise and specific approaches.