VEGA OMLADINSKI CENTAR

Vega Youth Center is a non-profit, non-governmental youth organization founded in December 2000 in Belgrade. Vega YC is dedicated in building a quality environment for the growth and development of children and youth. Through the promotion of creative work, culture, new technologies, activism, self-organization and non-formal education we want to encourage the sustainability of young people’s actions. The programs of Vega YC aim at improving the quality of education and encouraging the development of creativity, visual culture, art, ancient crafts, DIY culture, activism, environmental awareness and critical thinking of children and youth through various educational and personal training programs. Currently, the organization is active in two sectors with different target groups: a. Non formal education and youth mobility. The first sector is dedicated to non formal education and youth mobility and targets all young people living in the territory of Serbia. Since 2009 we have organized several media literacy and media activism trainings, on the local level, in cooperation with different municipalities in Belgrade, and on the international level through European youth projects (Youth in Action and EYF). We are very active in distributing information about mobility projects for youngsters, organizing informatory events and disseminating information through our social media channels. Through the expansion of our international network we have helped more than 120 Serbian youngsters to participate in seminars, trainings and voluntary service projects in different European countries. (www.vega.org.rs) b. Design thinking and Design for Change. The second sector is mainly dedicated in disseminating the DT and DFC methodology in schools. For this purpose, we organize the annual “DFC School Challenge” through which we invite children and their educators to do projects that improve their surrounding using the DFC methodology. The result of the challenge is the annual “Ja Mogu” celebration that presents the projects to the general public in Belgrade and the participation of one team to the global “Be The Change” celebration that happens every year in a different country. Moreover, we organize trainings for teachers and educators and offer mentorship. Using the DFC methodology we also organize workshops for children and youngsters empowering them to change their surrounding with their ideas for a better world. We create tools and materials to help teachers, educators parents, youth workers and youngsters to use the DT and DFC methodologies in their work and everyday life. (www.dfcsrbija.org)