Smokinya Foundation contributes in creating a world that works for everyone out of love, care and cooperation

Smokinya Foundation contributes in creating a world that works for everyone out of love, care and cooperation. The organization serves as a learning platform for individuals who are ready to commit to their own learning and development needs. We create opportunities and provide space for people to learn, contribute and grow by participation, volunteering and leadership. Our approach is heuristic – a method for empowering a person to discover or learn something for themselves. Smokinya provides an alternative context of learning – experiential, ‘hands-on’ or learning by doing. Smokinya Foundation realizes its vision and values through youth work. Youth work for us is providing contexts and playground for exploration and discovery of the inner spirit of youth that individuals, groups and organizations posses. It started in 2013 as online blog for popularising youth mobility. Combining EVS experience, youth work and experiential learning with the energy and drive of young professionals, Smokinya grew to an informal group in 2014. In 2016 Smokinya Foundation was registered in public benefit. We come from different backgrounds: business, marketing and humanities non-formal education, volunteering and extracurricular youth activities. Our experiences make a rich mixture of competences, skills and values. What unites us is Smokinya’s vision. Smokinya aims at: •support for young people in their growth through non-formal educational •experiences encouragement of lasting interest in life-long learning, educational mobility, volunteering •raising the quality of youth projects and the capacity of youth NGOs by sharing cross-fertilized methods of training, coaching, coordination and management •promotion and facilitation of cross-sector networking for innovation, enrichment, inclusion, cooperation, exchange of transferable skills, attitudes and competences How do we do all that? - by partnerships and participation in international projects and initiatives - volunteering in different causes involving those in need (fewer opportunities young people and NEETs) - participating in trainings and bringing fresh new ideas and content in our work - networking and cooperating with NGOs, businesses and experts from variety of fields: youth, consulting, training and education, coaching - organizing seminars, workshops, trainings focused on competences and trends in personal and organizational development Our target group Young and adult people 16-35 with fewer opportunities, who are facing a transition in their life based on economical, geographical, social or educational circumstances. Specifically, young adults who are looking for first job and career, changing career, new educational qualification, relocating or experiencing certain limitations due to their origin and background. Those feeling “lost”, inactive, not working, not studying, somehow confused or outdated in the contemporary dynamic and challenging world. Regular activities - on-the-job competence building for youth (local and international) by opening positions and recruiting motivated young people who takes roles in the foundation - promotion of youth mobility (youth exchanges, training courses, volunteering, solidarity activities, traineeships, internships) - training, counseling, and guidance of youth on career and education paths - networking events and festivals for youth to gather, share, exchange, brainstorm, initiate actions on important for them topics - international project partnerships management to receive, and send youth - coordination of international project partnerships - visiting schools and universities, as well as hosting in our office space thematic presentation on youth opportunities in EU http://smokinya.com/2019/10/smokinya-fest/ http://smokinya.com/2019/04/gather-your-inspiration-event-in-sofia/ Our methods: experiential learning, NLP, mentorship and coaching, outdoor and adventure learning, creativity and spontaneity, systemic work and constellations, art (thea