EKO is happy to announce that the YETC Bootcamp has been successfully completed! 

From the 19th to the 21st of May, part of the team EKO took part in the Young Entrepreneurs in Time of Crisis (YETC) Bootcamp. The project reunited 15 participants from youth working groups, coming from Italy, North Macedonia, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Poland, and took place in Sofia, Bulgaria. Hosted by FECE, a youth NGO based in Bulgaria, the Bootcamp focused on fostering, in participants, the skills to implement the local training in their home countries, on the topics of entrepreneurship. The overall program covers entrepreneurship for young people in four specific sectors: digital, cultural, social, and environmental.

Aims & Objectives of the project

More specifically, the aims of the Bootcamp were: 

– To foster the ability to approach new methods to promote youth entrepreneurship;

– To increase knowledge about different entrepreneurship types;

– To increase awareness about the transversal skills needed for entrepreneurship;

– To develop ethical and sustainable thinking;

– To enhance the development of creative ideas and find a strategic vision;

– Τo use the project’s results in the local training and activities with young people.

Workshops & Activities of the Project

During the 3-day Bootcamp pilot event, some activities proposed by all the partners of the consortium were successfully tested with the YETC Bulgarian local group.

• – The first day started with icebreakers to get to know each other and establish a safe space zone. During the Bootcamp, the first activity included the introduction to the notion of entrepreneurshipand its main objectives as well as the different sectors promoted by the program. 
• – On the second day, the activities concerned the sectors of digital, cultural, social, and environmental entrepreneurship, both covering business creation and promotion. In the meantime, all the participants had the opportunity to work in groups and collaborate in terms of the activities as well as to get familiarized with entrepreneurs of our time by discovering their backgrounds, success, and failures.
• – Finally, the third day included more practical and technical elements, focusing on the SWOT analysis of a business, a risk managementactivity in which the participants had to work into groups. The second part of the activity focused mainly on the scenario of a financial crisis, due to data leak, inside the business and the participants had to collaborate and choose their role in the business as well as ways to tackle such an issue. Finally, the last activity concerned templates for business models through which they had to develop their unique business ideas (individually) and note them down in detail, as a structured business plan to get inspired and have a glance at the realistic part of the business development.

The activities allowed the participants to actively identify themselves in the roles of entrepreneurs. They were able to be guided into creating and sharing their ideas and acquired added knowledge about the entrepreneurship challenges and duties, such as marketing, promotion, and risk management behaviour. The general program composition was led through brainstorming, group activities, and debate, thus creating an all-inclusive and stimulating working environment. 

In addition, the program was not only about the training but allowed the participants to get to know the city and each other better. It also included a guided tour of Sofia’s historical centre and free time to explore the surroundings, get accustomed to the locals, and create opportunities for the participants to benefit from the international and intercultural context in the Bulgarian capital. 

An amazing opportunity and a great experience for EKO’s team

As EKO, we are very grateful for that amazing opportunity given to our team members Aggeliki, Aurora and Maria! We thank our partner FECE and all the members of the hosting organization for all their hard work and for creating such an impactful project and learning activities! 

Благодаря ти – Ευχαριστούμε – Thank you