Youth Community Economic Development

Youth Social Entrepreneurship Webinar Series

WEBINAR #1- MARCH 12 -Completed - Watch a recording of the Webinar here
WEBINAR #2 MARCH 26 -Completed - Watch a recording of the Webinar here
WEBINAR #3 APRIL 30 - Completed - Watch a recording of the Webinar here

Click here to register: http://youthsocent2013.eventbrite.ca

Are you a young person interested in social entrepreneurship? Or an organization working with young people interested in learning more about how you can incorporate social enterprise into your work?

Starting March 2013, The Community Social Planning Council of Greater Victoria is launching a new webinar series on Youth Social Entrepreneurship, in partnership with the Canadian CED Network. The webinars are an opportunity to learn about how young people and youth serving organizations are using social enterprise in creating sustainable livelihoods. The webinars will reflect on the successes and challenges of operating successful and well-functioning youth-led and youth serving social enterprises. Presenters will discuss a variety of local, regional and national best practice examples.

Who should attend:

• Young people interested in social entrepreneurship
• Non-profit or other youth serving organizations interested in using a social enterprise model with their clients
• Funders, community partners, local government stakeholders interested in learning how to scale up the sector.

Webinar 1: Creating Opportunities for Young People through Social Enterprise
March 12, 2013 12:00- 1:00 pm PST (3 pm EST)

Social enterprise organizations are supporting youth in achieving sustainable livelihoods through innovative programs and initiatives, world-wide. Learn from the organizations through their long experience in the areas of food security, youth engagement, homelessness and employment creation and how they are using social enterprise and community economic development models in providing valuable opportunities for young people.

Presenters:

• Santropol Roulant, a Montreal community centre that has been using food as a vehicle to break social and economic isolation between generations and cultures and creating innovative ways of youth engagement.
• Eva’s Initiative, a Toronto based organization offering innovative programs and services for homeless and at-risk youth to assist them reach their potential to lead productive, self-sufficient and healthy lives.
• LOFT Youth Centre for Social Enterprise and Innovation, is a multi-use space that nurtures creativity, community engagement, social enterprise and entrepreneurship amongst youth in Toronto through three in-house social enterprises based in art, music, food and innovation.

Webinar 2: Spotlight on Young Social Entrepreneurs
When: March 26th, 2013, 12:00- 1:00 pm PST (3 pm EST)

Young people the world over are leading a new wave of social innovation and social entrepreneurship- creating social change, supporting community economies and forging new ways of work. Learn from young people in our communities about what motivates them and inspires them about social entrepreneurship, what are some of the successes and challenges they’ve faced along the way.

This webinar is especially relevant for anyone interested in applying for our partnership training and business development program with Community Micro-Lending, Launch!

Presenters:

• Kanika Gupta, founder of Social Journal (SoJo), a web based learning tool geared towards youth passionate about social change and building social ventures. The development of SoJo was influenced by Gupta’s master’s thesis experience in Canada-wide study on the factors influencing the start-up of youth-initiated social ventures.
• Julia Norman, founder of social enterprise, the Didi Society, which is working towards empowering women through fair, direct trade and educating local youth on social justice issues and using marketing, sales strategies and traditional cooperative values.
• Adam Olsen, is one of the Olsen family members who started local small business Salish Fusion Knitwear, producing modern knitted products with inspiration from Coast Salish art. The small business is providing employment opportunities for the local knitters and supporting the local art.

Webinar 3: ‘Animating Youth Social Enterprise’: the Role of Funders and Partners
When: April 30, 2013, 12:00- 1:00 pm PST (3 pm EST)

How do we take youth social enterprise to scale and build the sector? A range of funding and community partners are key to the success of building this emerging and vibrant sector of the economy. This webinar looks at some best practice examples of what funders and community partners, including post-secondary, business and service organizations, can and are doing to support strengthen opportunities for youth social enterprise, locally and nationally.

Presenters:

• Charles Tsai, Director of Learning Networks for Ashoka Canada leads Ashoka's university strategy in Canada for supporting Changemaking and Changemakers within higher education. He is responsible for overseeing global campaigns supporting young social entrepreneurs and has educated and mentored hundreds of young Changemakers through Vancouver based charity Global Youth Fund and Ashoka's Youth Venture program.
• Tracey Robertson, Regional Program Manager for Ontario Trillium Foundation supports the effective distribution and management of $4.7M annually to over 400 arts and culture, social services, sports and recreation, and environmental organizations in the Waterloo, Wellington and Dufferin areas. A recognized community builder with experience of 25 years, she thrives on collaboration, innovation and stimulating system-wide change. She shares her knowledge and continues her love for learning, as a part-time instructor for the Leadership Program and Social Entrepreneurship program at Wilfred Laurier University.
• Jacqueline Powell, has participated in the program design of Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Community and Province-Wide Programs for example, in facilitating the creation of Local Areas of Granting Focus for decision-making teams in 10 areas of the Province and has worked at the community level, co-managing the granting of $6M annually in the Durham, Haliburton, Kawartha and Pine Ridge area.  She is highly committed to providing youth with opportunities to “make money while doing good”.  Along with Tracey Robertson, Jackie was seconded to co-design, with the Future Fund team, an innovative and proactive initiative to strengthen youth social entrepreneurship in Ontario.  

Launch!: Youth Community Economic Development Initiative

DOWNLOAD THE INFOSHEET | LAUNCH POSTER 2013

WHAT
This Spring, Community Micro Lending Society and the Community Social Planning Council will be running the fourth installment of Launch! Youth. By providing youth ages 18-30 who are unemployed or underemployed with more entrepreneurship and self-employment opportunities, this project is set to address the urgent situation of youth unemployment in the region. Our hope is to foster increased social and financial inclusion for youth, enhance youth empowerment and capacity and generate a space for youth to contribute and participate in the community economic development. The main objective of this program is to responds specifically to the needs and desires of Victoria’s youth as they enter and strengthen a sustainable and resilient local economy, which has community well-being written into its bottom line.

HOW
Beginning in April, a group of young entrepreneurs will embark on a 15-week process of designing and launching their own small businesses. Over the course of these weeks each member of the group will be provided financial literacy, self-employment training and staff support as they develop, design and implement their small business ideas. In addition participants will find out about community economic development (CED) and learn how to incorporate CED principle into their businesses. An integral component of the program is the peer-support that participants receive as they develop their business alongside with other young entrepreneurs. At the end of the 15-week period, participants will have completed a business plan and budget and be given the opportunity to apply for a micro loan in order to finance the launch of their businesses. Once they have applied for a loan they will be matched with a mentor who will continue to provide support as their businesses grow.

WHO
For this program we are looking for youth who are:

• Motivated self-starters
• Have an idea for a business that they are passionate about
• Are looking to start their own business in the next 6 months
• Are looking for extra support in order to start their small-business

The program is supported by the Horner Foundation, Coast Capital Savings Credit Union, Telus, the Community Social Planning Council, the Community Micro Lending Society, and a number of individual young people committed to sustainable community economic development for the Capital Region.  For more information write to kate@communitymicrolending.ca.

Learn more about how you can support other CED initiatives in the region, such as our work to create a Community Development Investment Fund here.

Calling all Mentors: How it works

Mentorship is a cornerstone to the success of the Launch! program. We match program participants with entrepreneurs and leaders from the community who share their knowledge and time to ensure higher business success and personal empowerment. We welcome people with business knowledge and skills, motivational capacity, and passion for the community to join our team of mentors. For more information write to sarah@communitycouncil.ca.

Interested in contributing to this growing movement but can’t commit to mentoring right now?
We want to connect with local social enterprises, co-operatives and businesses who are doing community economic development (CED) in the region. We are also seeking community members with expertise and experience in community economic development and business planning that we can include in a developing technical expertise database that will be used to support CED initiatives in the community.

News, Resources, and Events

Learn more about the first Launch! entrepreneurs.

Youth in Charge: Leading Change through CED Project of the Canadian CED Network.
Read more here

Funding for this program generously provided by: