YIP - The International Youth Initiative Program

YIP welcomes up to 40 young people from around the world to join the program and supports them in their efforts to become the change they wish to see in the world, and to find their service and engagement in their own future and the future of our society and world.

These are the current participants:

The organizing team is a passionate group of people that have made YIP their lifestyle, at least for the time being.

The team takes care of the curriculum design, all the planning, financing, logistics, arrangements and organization of the program. As they also live on campus, they coach, mentor and support the participants through their YIP experience. 

The team consists of some full-time members, who guarantee the longer term processes and responsibilities for the organization and the curriculum. In addition there are Assistant organizers, who join the program full-time, but only for some months of the year and with a specific focus that corresponds to the themes and focus of the curriculum at that point in the year. Next to these there are often volunteers that help make the community life with its many practical and logistical details run smoothly.

The contributors are the change makers that bring the teachings and content to the program. They are the ‘bricks and mortar‘ for the intellectual, social-emotional and spiritual content of the program. In many cases they are social and societal entrepreneurs themselves and take a week out of their busy lives to come and share their knowledge and insights with the participants of YIP. Typically they join the program for a week and teach during the mornings. During this time they also participate in the community life of YIP. It is a wonderful chance for the participants to connect, build and deepen personal and informal relationships to these contributors who are often leading figures in various professions and leaders in their community.

This years contributors include:

Please note: YIP is a ‘permanent improvisation‘, seeking to adapt to what participants are searching for and the current trends in our society. Due to this some information you find here is subject to change.

Each year the YIP program adds another group of alumni to the growing network. 

The program has many experiences, learnings, insights and developments as a result, but one of the biggest and most lasting results are the human relations that build over the 10 months of living and learning together. Alumni often refer to their year group as ‘their family’ in the positive sense of what that might mean. Now that YIP has been operational for many years, that network is stretching itself across all continents and starting to be a powerful community of change makers around the world. 

These are the Alumni of the YIP years so far.

YIP enjoys a growing network of initiatives, organisations and educations around the world. Some work together with the program on international internships, some on the parts of the curriculum away from Sweden and others contribute to the curriculum and the certification of the YIP course.

These are some of our current partners and collaborators

Please Note: YIP is involved with many organisations who will not all be represented here, if you would like your organisation represented please get in contact at [email protected] 

In 2016 YIP signed an agreement with the Alanus University in Bonn Germany. Through this collaboration your year at YIP can be credited towards the study PHASE (philosophy, arts and social entrepreneurship) up to an equivalent of 30 ECTS Credit Points, which is one semester out of six.

Art of Hosting a powerful leadership practicum as well as a daily pattern and practice for many individuals, communities, families, businesses and organisations.

Elderberries Threefold Cafe is a small organic, vegan, gluten/soy-free café that strives to nourish the human as a whole. We see our work starting with providing healing, nourishing,food and drink, and ending with the creation of a world where every individual is allowed a dignified life truly worthy of the human being!

Föreningen SOFIA an umbrella for a variety of project teams in Sweden. With inspiration from anthroposophy, they work with international development cooperation with local organizations around the world and in Sweden.

 Ecovillage Piracanga Ecovillage in Brazil will host from YIP10 on the program after the first 3 months. It is administrated by the Inkiri Community.

Kaospilots is a school to create positive societal change through personal growth and enterprise.

Knowmads a platform and school for people who want to make a positive difference in this world. 

An educational center located in the Kathmandu Valley that reinforces the wellbeing of local Nepali communities through sharing knowledge on sustainable and eco-friendly ways of living. 

Kulturcentrum Järna.

Standing for  Movement for Imaginals for a Sustainable Society through Implementation, Organisation and Networking is based in the Philippines and works through the principles of Integral Sustainable Development (ISD) towards a sustainable society.

International Masters programme for Strategic Sustainability Leadership.

A community based in Cape Town, South-Africa, that works on sustainable development through educational programs, community work and agriculture.

ShadeTree, based in L.A, serves as an intentional community of mentors, elders, teachers, artists, healers, and advocates for the healthy development of children and youth.

STREET POETS Inc. is a non-profit poetry-based peace-making organization dedicated to the creative process as a force for individual and community transformation aiming to break the cycle of violence in the lives of at-risk and incarcerated youth, awakening them to their gifts.

An anthroposophical organization, organizing seminars, small study groups and international conferences throughout the world; supporting initiatives, facilitating internships, and conducting research on global youth issues.