Het Beroepenhuis
Location: Belgium
Het Beroepenhuis is a non-profit organization established in 2000 that aims to bridge the gap between education and the labor market. Its primary goal is to expand the horizons of young people and help them explore their talents, skills, and interests, empowering them to make informed and positive choices for their future careers and education. The target audience includes young visitors aged 11-14, as well as their teachers and parents.
What they do
At Het Beroepenhuis, interactive and playful experiences are offered, mainly focusing on technical and practical professions. The center features a fixed interactive exhibition with 11 ‘discovery corners,’ each representing a different sector, along with a workshop where young visitors delve deeper into a select few professions. The workshop concept is flexible, with periodic changes to the showcased professions.
Important facts
Annually, Het Beroepenhuis hosts approximately 12,000 young visitors from across Flanders and Brussels. In addition to its core activities, the organization participates in various projects throughout the country, such as Digital Talent Month, Technoboost, and Company visits for students, collectively reaching over 25,000 students every year.
Studio Shift
Location: Italy
SHIFT is a design studio that believes in creating positive and meaningful change in the world. Established in 2016 as an associated studio, it has now evolved into a Benefit Enterprise. The primary goal is to promote social, inclusive, and happy communities.
What they do
The studio uses quantitative and qualitative methods to understand community needs in social and cultural contexts. They apply design thinking, visual communication, and urban design to prototype and co-create solutions for local change, concentrating on various settings like neighborhoods, public spaces, cities, and villages.
Important facts
The studio collaborates with NGOs, Consortia, Foundations, Public Administration, and Social Enterprises, working both for and alongside them; and it’s also engaged in participatory processes with various local organizations, often as part of EU programs, while developing its key activity areas:
- Design Workshops: Disciplinary training on Design Thinking methodology and tools, advising on individual projects related to Design Management, Service Design, and design-driven Innovation, as well as organizational-level services like organizational Design, Strategic Design, Educational Design, and happiness management.
- Co-design Strategies: Designing and implementing workshops and “groups of practice” that involve stakeholders and utilize co-design strategies to enhance services and outcomes.
Cooperativa Margherita
Location: Italy
Margherita Soc. Coop. Soc. ONLUS is a non-profit organization and social enterprise founded in 1987, operating based on the principles of mutuality. It is dedicated to providing socio-educational and cultural services to address identified needs, with a strong focus on multi-level integration and empowering the individuals involved.
What they do
The organization offers high-quality lifelong learning, training, and support to various groups facing exclusion, such as people with disabilities, migrants and others involved in human rights issues, aiming to activate the local community through the organization of public events and meetings, as well as to foster active citizenship and responsible participation at every level.
The organization operates with three guiding principles:
- Territorial Stakeholders: Placing the territory as a key stakeholder, always taking into account its resources and needs while devising programs and services.
- Home Care Approach: Considering the life stories and contexts of the end-users, seeking the best solutions, promoting participation, and enhancing the resources of the participants.
- Working with the Community: Trusting that the quality of life improves through better relationships among people and the creation of identity based on shared values.
Important facts
The organization’s local network includes various stakeholders such as local businesses, cooperatives, 12 Local Authorities, local associations, families of end-users, schools, European partners from previous and ongoing projects, the Regional Veneto Authority, Local Health Authorities, libraries, and 6 centres for the elderly (including their centres). Margherita is also a member of the European Association for Local Democracy (ALDA) since 2013, promoting a European dimension through several EU initiatives.
Imago Mundi Association
Location: Romania
Imago Mundi Association is dedicated to supporting youth development, with a particular focus on rural areas.
Through their commitment to non-formal education and youth development, Imago Mundi Association plays a crucial role in empowering young individuals, particularly in rural areas, and contributing to the growth and well-being of the community.
What they do
The organization utilizes non-formal education to foster the life skills and competences of young individuals. Collaborating closely with teachers and youth workers in Romania, Imago Mundi has established strong partnerships with various NGOs across Europe. Their activities attract youths and adults from both rural and urban areas, and their office is based in the rural village of Mălureni, Argeș county, Romania.
Important facts
In recent years, the association has initiated new projects funded through programs of the European Union and Corporate Social Responsibility policies of large companies. Furthermore, Imago Mundi is a member of Volonteurope, a European network consisting of 57 organizations from 20 countries, promoting collaboration at the European level.
With over 12 years of experience in non-formal education and youth projects, they have been involved in Action and Erasmus+ programs, the EU Aid Volunteers program, Justice Programme, as well as numerous local activities and partnerships.
