Sector: Social Website: https://growthhub.gr/
Brief description of the organisation/initiative
Growth Hub is a youth non-profit organisation based in Tripoli, Greece, but operating globally, founded by a team of young people experienced in Erasmus+ and youth work. Growth Hub NGO Greece aims to involve young people in youth mobilities and volunteering activities on local, national, and international levels to provide youth with the necessary tools and skills for the digital future and promote sustainability and inclusion. Their main goal is to make young people the change they want to see globally by promoting solidarity, active citizenship, and understanding among cultures through non-formal education programs. The NGO focuses on intercultural dialogue and active participation. More specifically, the purposes of Growth Hub are to:
- provide and reinforce the youth with the current essential skills of the 21st century
- prepare them for the future by educating/training them to develop entrepreneurship, build soft skills and adjust to the digital revolution
- encourage the youth to get in touch with the social reality
- raise their awareness about social phenomena such as racism, sexual violence, and social exclusion
- raise awareness about the protection of the environment and encourage them to take part in the implementation of the 17 sustainable development goals
The Growth Hub’s biggest project is University Opportunities (Uni-ties) – the first platform in Greece for discovering and informing young people and students of all the available opportunities that can positively impact their personal and professional lives. An effective bridge between Opportunity seekers and Opportunity providers for mutual development through exchanging information, knowledge, and skills. Moreover, the platform offers digital tools for personal development such as podcasts.
Challenge overview
Even though Growth Hub was created in April 2019 (as Youthwave), the organisation became active in the summer of 2021. The pandemic just exacerbated the need for young people to gain experience, develop skills, and be able to adapt to critical situations. Even though many NGOs in Greece are operating in the field of Erasmus+, there is a need to promote the opportunities and possibilities for young people and foster non-formal education as a powerful tool to improve and build their capacities for the future.
Establishment of the organisation/initiative/enterprise
Growth Hub was founded by a team of young people experienced in the field of Erasmus+ and youth work to involve other young people in European mobilities and volunteering projects.
Management structure and governance
Growth Hub NGO Greece is a youth non-profit organisation. The team includes five young people: the founder and general director, the co-founder, two project managers, and an English and French director. Their primary funding comes from the Erasmus+ Programme and the implementation of their projects.
Principles of work, objectives and activities
The Growth Hub focuses on providing essential skills for the 21st century, such as soft skills, digital tools, and mental health. The organisation achieves these goals by organising specialised events and workshops, European projects, as well as, other digital tools, like podcast series, which could be found on the Uni.ties platform.
Target groups
The target group is young people and students, who want to achieve changes in society, and have a particular interest in environmental and social issues. Growth Hub’s primary target group is young people aged 18-30. However, the Growth Hub offers opportunities to the younger generation (13-17 years old).
Innovation
The Growth Hub uses different digital tools and platforms and social media channels to interact, educate and inform youth about the Growth opportunities. The platform Uni.ties combines all the above and provides an innovative tool to find opportunities.
Key partners
The key partners are Erasmus partners, especially the European Solidarity Corps Programme, and – occasionally- some external partners, which contribute to specific projects.
Impact and Evaluation
The positive impact is the engagement of people participating in the initiatives. Currently, the Growth Hub counts over 500 subscribers to their newsletter and over 50 partners on their Uni-ties platform. Moreover, the organisation is well established locally and internationally, with over 14.000 followers on its social media accounts.
Recommendations
It is an amazing experience and challenge to interact with young people who are just trying to figure out what they will do with their lives. It is inspirational to provide youth with new opportunities to grow personally and professionally. However, in our digital world, young people could easily find themselves lost in all available opportunities. So, providing trustworthy platforms and tools, effective communication, interaction, and assistance is crucial, and everyone willing to work in this field should consider these aspects.
Lessons Learned
A motivated and devoted team is the key to success. Teamwork allows them to overcome difficulties and find the best solutions to the challenges. Moreover, the motivation of team members, their fresh ideas, and constant collaboration allows them to develop new and challenging projects, gain valuable experience and foster organisational growth.
References
The Growth Hub website.
The Uni-ties platform.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.