Welcome to the Youth Initiative Program
The International Youth Initiative Program (YIP) is a 10 month residential societal entrepreneurship training for 18-28 years olds based in Sweden. It offers a holistic educational program that expands global understanding and personal awareness. YIP aims to strengthen young people’s capacity to take personal and collective initiative in the face of current global realities.
20-40 participants learn, create and organize alongside experts, facilitators and innovators. YIP’s curriculum provides a platform for young people to expand their understanding, develop their fullest potential and find their authentic tasks in society and the world.
The term “societal entrepreneur” as used by YIP describes people and initiatives that base their actions in service of society and understand the world as one interconnected living organism. This paradigm points to the interconnectedness of global systems and new ways of working toward a more equitable world. Through allowing young people to explore this paradigm and with it face and develop themselves and society, YIP seeks to support these young people to become leaders of a new, more sustainable and integrated lifestyle and future.
YIP 17
August 26th 2024 to June 19th 2025.
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Newsletter
What is YIP?
Location
Sweden as a homebase
The program is based in Järna, Sweden, beautifully situated 55 km south of Stockholm by the Järna Fjord on the Baltic Sea.
With its numerous initiatives, businesses and organisations, it forms an amazing and inspiring landscape of people’s visions being put into practice. Each of these places, be it the biodynamic farms, the curative homes, the alternative bank, the mill, the clinic, the cultural center etc. have an exemplary character in and of themselves. We are very lucky many of these projects and initiatives are situated in a radius of about 10km from our Swedish campus.
Find out more about the locations
Internship Locations
YIP is in close collaboration with a number of Initiatives around the globe which will serve as hosts for the internships. Internship destinations include Nepal (Holy Green Agro Farm), Egypt (Hebat el Nile), India (Navdanya Biodiversity Farm), Lithuania (Movement Vilnius), and Zimbabwe (Kufunda Village).
Find out more about internships
this years Curriculum
| Date/Time | Event | |
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02 Dec - 06 Dec Week 49 |
StorytellingWhat makes a story work? Can words shift the world? What is the relationship between wisdom traditions and stories from the past and your life today? |
Course |
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09 Dec - 13 Dec Week 50 |
Personal Initiative WeekIn this week participants will be guided through different activities and exercises to support them in surfacing and refining a question or project they would like to work with throughout the rest of YIP and beyond.
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Course |
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16 Dec - 19 Dec Week 51 |
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Community |
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23 Dec - 03 Jan Week 52 |
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Holiday |
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06 Jan - 10 Jan Week 02 |
Introduction to AurovilleParticipants will have the opportunity to meet and hear from local initiative takers living and working within Auroville, a universal township seeking to explore the possibility of living in diversity in a co-operative and sustainable way. They will get to know the place, and be inspired by what community building can look like in practice. |
Community |
Are you?
Between 18 and 28 years old?
Fluent in English?
Looking forward to connect with like minded change-makers?
Looking for an education that empowers you?
Willing to develop your cognitive, social-emotional and creative intelligence?
Willing to create positive shifts in yourself, others and the world?
Aware of todays challenges and willing to create a better future?
My year in Sweden was the most influential time of my life. For me YIP was my first experience coming into contact with my truest expression as a human being. The consistent work within community living gave me the courage to start experimenting with how I wanted to be in relation to myself, and the world. Today I am a facilitator and a project manager, and there is not a single day that I do not draw from the invaluable tool kit that this program made available to me. I am doing my life’s work because of the incredible support that the YIP Organization and Program provided me. There will never be enough ways to say “thank you”.
- Kailea Frederick (YIP6)
Going to YIP was a turning point in my life. It was the catalyst for a transition from my old story, moving consciously towards a new way of understanding myself, my personal history and its place in the whole. The combination of course content, community living and abundance of opportunities helped to create this catalyst, whilst meeting many who will be mentors and friends for life. Imagine living for 10 months with an abundance of ideas and possibilities, intellectually stimulating conversation, soulful encounters, and nourishment for the body with organic local food and fresh water. YIP offers an opportunity, it's then up to you to shape it into your own experience.
- Jim Howard (YIP9)
My journey with YIP has been a stepping stone into the realisation that the only life I can truly live, is my own. And the only one who can do it, is me. I have dreams, they are waiting for me to bring them to life.
- Inte Koster (YIP7)
ORGANIZING TEAM
YIP is organised by an international group of people, supported by a global network of individuals and organisations. The program coordinators and volunteers form the organising team. They are responsible for facilitating the morning courses and afternoon activities of the program by inviting specialist and experienced change makers to inspire participants with their array of tools, knowledge, skills and experience. The team also mentors and coaches participants, facilitates group projects, internships, local volunteer opportunities, and individual participant initiatives.
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Contact
We will try to answer your message as soon as possible. We aim to answer within 48 hours during weekdays. For urgent matters please call our office phone +46 73 097 36 37, Monday to Friday between 09:00 and 17:00 Stockholm time. Our lunch break is from 12:00 until 14:00.
If you have a question about applying to YIP, check out our Frequently Asked Questions page first.