Youth Initiative Center is excited to announce an open call for participants in the upcoming Idea Lab. This program invites 15 young leaders, aged 18-25, who are passionate about identifying community needs and bringing innovative ideas to life. Selected participants will receive guidance and support to develop and implement impactful projects within their communities.

Program Outline 

Selected participants will begin by identifying a target group they wish to serve, such as youth, the elderly, or persons with disabilities. Each participant will carry out a community needs assessment to inform and guide the development of their project. In addition, each participant will recruit a beneficiary from their chosen target group to collaborate with. Each initiative will directly benefit at least 10 participants.

Program Structure

– Inception Training (December 21-22): During the two-day introductory training, participants will explore the fields of youth work and project development. Working in groups with assigned mentors, they will conduct a community needs assessment and refine their project ideas. Throughout the training, participants will enhance their ideas and develop a clear action plan.

– Assignments: Following the inception training, participants will return to their communities to conduct assignments designed to gather data and further develop their project ideas.

– Incubation Training (2 days, in 2025): After a one-month interval, participants, accompanied by their recruited beneficiary, will attend a second two-day training. This session will focus on project incubation, where participants will receive targeted support to shape their ideas into actionable, community-ready projects. The goal of this training is to equip participants with the support needed to transform their ideas into actionable, community-focused projects, with mentors providing guidance throughout this stage.

– Project Implementation Stage: All projects are to be completed by June 2025.

Funding and Support

Each participant will be awarded 300 euros to support the implementation of their project. Additionally, selected projects will have the opportunity to be showcased at an annual youth forum and receive media coverage, providing participants with significant visibility for their work.

Closing Event  

The program will culminate in a closing event, celebrating the achievements of all participants and showcasing the outcomes of their projects.

Details and Terms:

• Participation in the program is free of charge.
• Accommodation, meals, and transportation are provided for all participants.
• Selected participants commit to engaging fully in all stages of the project from start to finish.
• Certificates will be awarded only to participants who complete at least 80% of the project.

Application Submission Details:

• Complete the online registration form here: https://bit.ly/4hAq3tE
• Application Deadline: December 10

For Additional Questions:

• Call the training coordinator, Margarit Grigoryan, at 095 91 91 97 (Monday to Friday, 09:00–18:00).
• Email us at youthinaction@yic.am.
• Visit the YIC NGO office at 26 Alek Manukyan, Gyumri.

“Youth in Action: Youth Empowerment and Leadership Development in Armenia” Project is a co-funded initiative by the European Union and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) implemented together with the World Vision Armenia (WVA), Media Initiatives Center (MIC), and Gyumri “Youth Initiative Centre” (YIC).