The International Youth Initiative Program, YIP, is a societal entrepreneurship training, offering a holistic educational program that promotes an expanded global and personal awareness aiming to strengthen young people’s capacity to take initiative in the face of current global challenges. 20-40 participants, between 18 and 28 years old, from all over the world, live, learn and work together for 10 months.

YIP provides a platform for young people to develop their fullest potential, expand their understanding and find their authentic task in society and the world.

Foster a lived understanding of the importance of community. Learn how to harness the power of the collective and work across difference. Develop skills in leadership, facilitation, hosting conversations and visioning.

Engage in a path of inner investigation to become aware of your own story, struggles and strivings to then step consciously into your full potential as a creative and unique individual. Begin a Personal Initiative project that you work with throughout the year.

Be inspired by internationally acclaimed doers and innovators who offer an overview of some of our current global challenges. Activate your capacity to positively contribute to today's changing world.

Experience a network, enterprise or organization that has positive social, political or environmental change at its core. Develop interest and wonder in the diversity of human capacity whilst maintaining a personal intention.

Enjoy the opportunity to co-design your own curriculum, whether this means inviting contributors of your choice or engaging in group inspired educational action and travel. Work on a Personal Initiative.

Consciously reflect on your journey throughout the year and create clarity for your next steps. Finalize and present your Personal Initiative. Dive into the beautiful North Swedish water, and witness a midnight sun during the Outdoor Experience.

In the Autumn and Spring each Monday afternoon will be spent in the YIP garden.

*Each second week there is a house meeting to organize and discuss the running of the shared house.

Check-in groups are established at the beginning of the year and consist typically of 6-10 participants and one member of the organizing team. It offers a smaller and more individual setting to discuss and share anything that you meet, learn and experience.

The time is for preparing the internship and other group projects where YIP participants will work as a whole group and in smaller teams.

YIP participants choose the creative and practical activities they wish to engage with. These may include:

• Metal Work - Work with blacksmithing and create jewellery and other pieces.
• Art Therapy - Take part in a therapeutic art-based process.
• Wood Work - Learn how to work with wood, hand tools and design.
• Weaving - Make own weaving tools out of wood, work with simple weaving techniques.

Time to plan, prepare and organise the Initiative Forum: an event that the group collectively creates and hosts, practising bringing an idea into manifestation as a larger group.

Participants work with their bodies, exploring complex and novel ways of moving. They will be introduced to different exercises and games to keep mobility and strength across their whole body.

Both the participants and organizers come together each week for a Community Meeting. A typical meeting is used to look back on the past week, to look ahead to the next week and to announce and discuss any community issues and concerns. In addition it offers a platform for sharing and learning about what it takes to be a community living together for 10 months.

YIP acknowledges the need in any adult education today to offer tailored developmental support to its participants. It does this in the form of Biographical Counselling offered by Annie Meijer, an accredited counsellor and adult educator. The outer supports and securities in life often no longer hold and withstand the awakening inner realities that shake us. This asks from us that we find a new ground within ourselves to build confidence for our future. Biographical Counselling supports this process by enabling participants to step into dialogue with their own Biography, to release forces trapped in previous experience and to step into the future with courage and capacity knowing the value and worth of their unique journey.

On most evenings there is space for countless self-organised extra-curricular activities such as sports, theatre, music etc.

The program is based in Järna, Sweden, beautifully situated 55km south of Stockholm by the Järna Fjord on the Baltic Sea. With its numerous initiatives, businesses and organizations, it forms an amazing and inspiring landscape of people’s visions being put into practice. Each of the surrounding places, be it the biodynamic farms, the curative homes, the alternative bank, the mill, the cultural center etc. have an exemplary character in and of themselves. Luckily these are all situated in a radius of about 10km.

Curious to see what societal entrepreneurship looks like on a daily basis? 

The internship offers the possibility to work with an organisation/business/initiative that is seeking to implement the ethics, motives and ways of being and working that we explore during YIP. This experience gives the participants a real-life, on the ground experience of what it can look like to implement an initiative that strives to take on some of today’s challenges in the world.

The YIP participants are the co-designers of their learning journey during the internship in small groups. During this design they focus on their personal intention, group intention, and needs of the place.

In the case that YIP18 includes an outpost, YIP will prioritise offering internships with organisations in the same region of the outpost. This is with the hope of enabling a deeper understanding and engagement in the context and culture of the internship place. We also prioritise more local internships in the effort to minimise our need for flying and the consequent environmental impact this entails.

All eligible participants will receive a Certificate of Completion at the year’s end. In addition all participants will receive an individual portfolio with Certificates of Qualification from each completed course during the program. The YIP Certificates of Qualification comply with the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS.) They do not grant any direct academic degree. In the past participants have been able to use their YIP certificates towards credits for their bachelor and/or master programs. 

Through our partnership with Alanus University, all credits are accepted and credited for the BA in Social Entrepreneurship.