The Academy for Social Change or Changemakers Academy is probably the boldest venture of the Ideas Factory. It gathers everything that you have learned and want to share and all the people whose opinions we consider audacious and valuable. All challenges are collected in one methodology that teaches you to be … um … changemaker. We created it because we live in a society dominated above all by change, yet few people are prepared to defend their own group interests or those of another group of people in a beautiful way.

We noticed that the basic concepts of effectiveness and impact on the environment are not known to those who want to change our world for the better. We believe that the combination of the development of one’s personal potential, getting acquainted with the latest conceptual models for social change and the development of leadership skills is of great importance for our society today.

Training modules throughout 2012 were held in different parts of Bulgaria, where we were able in practice to see and work with the challenges facing local communities. Thus, participants had the opportunity to directly influence the processes taking place in our society. Those who have completed all 4 modules of the Changemakers Academy have access to a palette of techniques, concepts, lecturers, contacts and resources through which they can catalyze the realization of their innovative but also well-grounded bold ideas – ideas that have the potential to be systematic solutions to serious social problems.

You can find further information at: http://changemakersacademy.net/

The International Training Course “Sustainable tools” – part of EuroMed’s “Youth in Action” program, was held from 11th till 17th June, 2010 along the banks of Shiroka Polyana Dam. The purpose of the project was to provide people working with youths from the Mediterranean region with means, tools and methods for work on issues related to sustainable development, responsible consumption, biodiversity, fair trade, environmental ethics, etc.
The training course was attended by 22 people from 11 European and Mediterranean countries (Bulgaria, Turkey, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Lithuania, Israel, Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon and Jordan). The training encouraged youth workers to spread the results of the project in their community and among their “students”. As part of the training program a feeder for cloven-hoofed animals was built in hunting reserve “Shiroka Polyana” with the help of all participants and a model of an open lesson on the topic of sustainable development was developed in cooperation with school’s nature lovers club in Velingrad. As a result over 40% of the participants have taken part or have initiated projects or activities inspired by the training.

PURPOSE: To provide youth leaders with tools and methods for work on issues related to sustainable development in the context of learning through experience: – responsible consumption, biodiversity, fair trade, environmental ethics.

TEAM: Sasha Vitanova, Zhelyazko Mechkov, Ioannina Taneva, Evgeni Monov;

WHEN: 11 – 17 June 2010

WHERE: Shiroka Polyana Dam.

Over 140 enthusiasts from different Bulgarian cities participated in the Social innovation challenge by Ideas Factory across the country and dozens of like-minded teams rushed to solve real problems, including the lack of sewerage system in one of the neighbourhoods in the village of Sinemorets, solutions for the unemployed women over 50 years of age, the need of support for a small start-up business in the Plovdiv district “Stopilinovo” and finding a way for autistic youngsters to create their innovative social enterprise.

The jury selected six of the ideas that were awarded not only with mentoring support, but also with a scholarship to participate in the Changemakers Academy in which lecturers and social innovators from Bulgaria and the world will be at their disposal and will help the young teams to put Bulgaria on the world map of social innovation and social entrepreneurship.

From 5th to 8th of June Plovdiv, also known as the “city under the hills”, was conquered by the Changemakers and the team of the Ideas Factory on their “Mission Change”. For a second year the “fabricants” provided the agents of social change with a series of lectures, seminarsand activities to help them understand what is the effect of the processes behind the major changes.

Systems thinking, negotiation skills, U-theory, World caffe, Ideas Lab, empathic leadership, nightchallenges and a meeting with the municipality to create innovative vision for the social services in Plovdiv were only a small part of the cherries on the cake.
Lecturers at the Plovdiv Academy were Ralph Böhlke, Tsvetana Chakarova (Amsterdam) Filka Sekulova (Barcelona Free University) and Asen Nenov and the event wasopened by Gemma Baruhk – Executive Director of the Plovdiv 2019 Foundation.

The results: A community of happy, confident and connected with each other agents, burning with desire for solving the challenges. After the Academy, 97% of the participants answered the question “From 1 to 100, how would you describe your motivation to continue with your idea or project for social change after the Academy?” with 120…

A very special event during the Plovdiv Academy showed an innovative approach for catalyzing the civic creativity in order to solve urban challenges. The “academicians”,municipal staff, journalists and representatives of creative professions were mixed in a non-hierarchical dialogue aimed to upgrade ideas. The format is called World Caffe and allows for a minimum time as many people as possible to form optimal quality ideas on an given issue.

The Academies in Burgas and Vratsa will stir up the Southeast and Northwest in September (04-07)and October (02-05) respectively.
The Academy has the incredible power to create space for the birth of bold new visions and to give wings to those who have the courage to implement them. The sessions involving social entrepreneurs from around the world, speakers and mentors from home and abroad, the combination of techniques makes the methodology a crucial support for the young and ambitious social innovators.