Scientific and Research association for Art, Cultural and Educational Programmes and Technology EPEKA

Scientific and Research Association for Art, Cultural and Educational Programmes and Technology EPEKA, Social Enterprise, was founded in 2008. EPEKA Association was founded as an initiative to connect creators of cultural, artistic, educational, scientific, and technological content for the European Capital of Culture 2012 project. One year later, EPEKA proposed the Municipality of Maribor to submit candidacy for the European Youth Capital title. Consequently, Maribor became the European Youth Capital in 2013. We continue our activity in the field of EU citizenship, EU values, and intercultural dialogue. EPEKA has branches abroad: EPEKA Czech Republic, EPEKA Austria, EPEKA Serbia, EPEKA Turkey, EPEKA UK, EPEKA Berlin, and an informal group of youth EPEKA Armenia. We also have affiliate branches in Ljubljana and Izola. EPEKA has a long history of working with underprivileged social groups both with youth and adults, promoting the rights of the Roma minority in Slovenia and enabling and empowering them. One of the most prominent results of this was the opening of Romani Kafenava, the first Roma restaurant in the EU working on the principles of social entrepreneurship. This was a part of an ambitious ESF operation and the restaurant is still operational several years after the end of financing. It was also seen as very good practice by many institutions. We are a non-governmental, non-profit organization, and we have been operating by the principles of a social enterprise since 2013. Our aims are still closely connected with promoting the rights of vulnerable groups, especially youth and women. In our daily practice, we combine theoretical work (e.g. creating educational tools, policy monitoring, counseling, etc.) and work in the field directly with the community. In 2016 we have also established the EPEKA Youth Cooperative Society to support youth business in 2017 we established a multi-purpose Roma center - Roma station, which is a project that empowers local Roma community members with information, new skills, non-formal education, and opportunities in the field of employment... EPEKA Network active in: Employment & Social Integration (Roma minority) - ESF “Social activation project”, motivating and assisting 200+ long term unemployed individuals towards their social and labour integration - Erasmus+ TC “ACTIVATION - Empowering youth workers in the field of youth activation” - ESF “Fair Employment”, helping 50+ youngsters in the first step into the labour market Ecology - Yearly projects “Miss of the trees” (local nature) and “Bathrope day” (climate change) - 10+ yearly educational activities about nature, sustainability, food and - Horizon 2020 project TRAIN – CE- FOOD - Erasmus+ strategic partnership “#greenfluencers” on ecology and social media Digitalization - teaching, assisting and equipping local Roma community with digital skills and tools - 20+ yearly ICT technologies workshops Art & Education - 10+ yearly exhibitions, giving voice to underprivileged groups through various art - Erasmus+ strategic partnership “ARTephemeral in School Education” Youth center - 300m2 of spaces for educational activities and quality leisure time - Experienced in hosting activities, including youth exchanges, training courses, seminars, conferences, concerts and outdoor sports/nature activities. - -Organizing transnational project meetings in Berlin (Kreutzberg)