UNICEF Albania in collaboration with ICTSlab is implementing UPSHIFT program that aims to empower the most vulnerable young people (15-24 years old) to identify challenges in their communities and create entrepreneurial solutions to address them.
UPSHIFT can be adapted to different contexts ranging from youth innovation labs to schools and non-formal education centers. Through a combination of Outreach & Inspiration, human-centered Design, 7 workshops, Mentorship & Coaching, and in some cases seed funding, participants gain valuable transferable skills, including problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and leadership. Currently, young people from the rural areas in North, South East of Albania, and Tirana took part in a 3 days training program, mentored by energetic youth mentors. After being equipped with skills they started implementing their innovative social ideas with the goal to enhance their community life. Business communities and local government-supported financially the youth-designed ideas adding to the ownership and sustainability of the project.
To guarantee program sustainability the successful UPSHIFT curricula that are in the process of accreditation by the MOESY and, schoolteacher will be trained on how to implement it with the adolescents. UPSHIFT plans include digital upshift, inclusion in curricula, stronger partnership with businesses as well as a closer partnership with other youth Programmes such as Erasmus+, EU for Innovation, etc.
PONDER
UNICEF Albania in collaboration with the ICTSlab is implementing an informal education program “Ponder” with a focus on girls.
Anchored in human-centered design, ethnographic research, and participatory action research, PONDER is a strategic response that harnesses the potential of critical thinking in youth to analyze the information and messages received from social and traditional media.
UNICEF in collaboration with ICTslab has organized various PONDER workshops with youth between 14-21 years old from various cities of Albania. Due to these workshops’ youth enhanced their critical thinking and 15 participants benefited from a 1-month internship in a media company (8 Females and 7 Male), having the opportunity to be transformed as influencers.
Ponder currently has developed an application where youth can challenge their ideas toward social and traditional media. The successful PONDER curricula are in the process of accreditation by the MOESY and schoolteachers will be trained on how to implement it with adolescents in their schools.
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