Social entrepreneurship has been identified as a key feature of the EU social market economy, social enterprises (SEs) contributes to the emergence and expansion of new market-based business models seeking ways to contribute to economic and societal values. SEs also have great potential for developing social innovations to improve quality of life, satisfy new needs, or public sector restructuring. Nonetheless, the concepts of “social economy” and “social innovation” are little known or misunderstood and it seems to be considered rarely as an important factor for business, especially for young people. On the other hand social start-ups encounter more difficulties in reaching the economic sustainability.The project INN@SE rely on the idea that a successful approach to overcome such challenges, can be represented by the open innovation methodology based on a cross-sectoral collaborative process. Thus, the project partnership is created by organizations from countries with different level of know-how on SE (Poland, Italy, North Macedonia, Jordan), representing sectors with different approaches to the topic (higher education, research, NGO). All partners are highly specialized in activities related to young people empowerment, training, social economy research, and start-ups development and the diverse knowledge, experience and skills that each partner imputes to the project, should be valued and recognized as essential to ensure the success and sustainability of the joint efforts.Taking context and needs into consideration, partners have identified the following objectives which derive directly from the 3 target needs areas (skills & capacity building, orienteering & networking, awareness raising):1. To disseminate entrepreneurial mindset and skills among young people at a broader EU level; to provide aspiring young social entrepreneurs with a clear toolkit to start up; 2. To facilitate access of young people and youth staff to information regarding grant, training and mentoring opportunities and tools at local and international level; to promote networking among young SEs; 3. To promote an EU culture of SE among society, rehabilitating entrepreneurship through social entrepreneurship, with a special attention to the contribution represented “by” and “to” young people; to raise awareness among young people as active citizens regarding social, environmental, and diversity challenges of EU communities, and how SE can face them; to promote the visibility among key stakeholders of social businesses and the importance of social innovation and social impact.Target groups to be addressed:- young people (18-35), especially running/involved in SEs or with an interest in doing so – 280 participants directly involved in project activities;- youth workers, trainers, teachers, business coaches and other professionals (and related organizations) supporting and promoting entrepreneurship among young people, relevant stakeholders – at least 70 participants directly involved in project activities.Through a 3 project phases (preparation – implementation – exploitation), the partners will elaborate a joint innovative methodology based on the transfer of the open innovation and co-design approach. 4 intellectual outputs linked to 3 main need areas will be created:1. Inn@SE Youth SE Research Study - a multi-sided analysis in the field of youth SE to define the model of supporting SE of young people, spot weaknesses and strong points and design a training scheme both in the field of training for social entrepreneurs already working and for others who will like to develop their professional careers in this sector.2. INN@SE Youth SE Educational Game – to provide young people with innovative and attractive way to learn about social entrepreneurship.3. INN@SE Young People Training Program & Toolkit - to provide aspiring young social entrepreneurs with a clear and flexible toolkit to start up, with a particular attention to the financial sustainability topic.4. Inn@SE Services for Youth SE - innovative youth SE services and policy recommendation developed through service co-design and design thinking methodologies to better empower and support young social entrepreneurs.Moreover, 3 multiplier events (“Innovathons” which follow the hackathon methodology) will be organized to disseminate project results, promote their exploitation and involve young people at local level.The ultimate purposes or the expected impacts of the project are to contribute to strengthening the offer to enhance professional skills of young people and to promote effectiveness and innovation in the SE development.Holistic approach and multi-sided analysis will ensure the transnational applicability and relatively easy transferability. All materials and training tools will be available on an open source platform, in order to reach the maximum results in terms of visibility, dissemination and access to any indirect beneficiary interested in youth SE.

"We are living at a time of profound technological, social and environmental changes. These changes are transforming the societies, and at the same time they challenge the education systems and put question on how do we educate and empower the next generations? How do we empower young people to succeed in 21st century and solve the rapid changes we are facing? Developing and promoting entrepreneurship education has been one of the key policy objectives of the EU institutions and Member States for many years. Too often, the value of entrepreneurship is only considered in economic value, creating profits for the individuals at (high) cost for the people or the environment. Making profits by doing harm to people and nature disengages young people more than it empowers them. If we have entrepreneurship education to only teach young people how to make profits, we invest in sustaining and empowering unjust societies. Social entrepreneurship by contrast is explicitly about creating value for others: economic, social and environmental value. This is the entrepreneurship the world needs more. There is growing body of evidence suggesting that young people place increasing importance on values and ethical practices: we see the rise of zero waste generations, green activists. Entrepreneurship education is essential not only to shape the mind-sets of young people, but also to provide the skills, knowledge and attitudes that are central to developing an entrepreneurial culture and new set of role models. SEED project seeks to educate and empower students and suggest that those who pursue social, environmental and economic value will be considered the entrepreneurs of the 21st century. SEED project focuses on delivering tailored upgraded programs for promotion of Social Entrepreneurship to high school students that are enrolled in the school subject ""Entrepreneurship"" in the three respective countries (North Macedonia, Croatia and Lithuania). The project upgrades its objectives by providing safe space for the students to run Virtual Social Enterprises and empowers them to receive and boost their employability skills by being leaders in organizing events in real life: organizing meetups with successful (Social) Entrepreneurs from their community, Silent Auctions and Talent Shows for Fundraising, community mobilization as sustainability approach (establishing ALUMNI networks at school) etc. The project modules are designed by NGOs that will provide new learning framework, experiential learning that is aligned with the transformed strategic environment and create new value in the education process."

College-age young people are open and enthusiastic about making a change in their society and to serving good to all citizens. Global awareness and interaction has broadened their perspectives on the role of doing good. They are eager to be involved, to make an impact. That’s why it’s crucial that, while at the same time that young people are encouraged to be future leaders in the private sector, they should learn on the Corporate Social Responsibility concept/ Social Enterprise Model and vision themselves as Responsible Entrepreneurs.Our project (Students Today-Responsible Entrepreneurs Tomorrow) delivered tailored programs of Social Entrepreneurship and Corporate Social Responsibility to high school students that were enrolled in the school subject “Entrepreneurship” in the three respective countries (Macedonia, Croatia and Lithuania). The project modules were designed in a lead of the recognized NGOs from Macedonia (ARNO-coordinator of the project) and Belgium (Out of the Box International- partner) that offered full expertise in the design of modules and programs that improved the theoretical knowledge and practical skills of the students for becoming future Responsible Entrepreneurs.Young students accompanied by their teachers attended in total 4 trainings on Social Entrepreneurship and CSR with national follow-up activities that run throughout the entire project. They practiced the theory learned during the trainings by creating and running student Virtual Companies. Some of the student’s companies/ideas participated further in national competitions and won prizes, which proved that the project approach has visible and immediate impact on the student’s motivation and recognizable skills. Students and teachers were involved fully at all project stages and used creative tools to share the message of the project (Online Campaigns, Photo Competition, Gala Fundraising Event) while the private sector companies were mobilized to share stories and provide the students on-site learning and exposure to real business environments. With the outreach to the private sector the schools established contacts with local Companies with strong CSR practice and Social Enterprises; some of the contacts resulted in partnerships that will continue to support the schools and the entrepreneurial education and community involvement. The European dimension of the project ensured creative cultural learning, while the partners built stronger relationships and strengthened their international activities and culture of sharing best-practices. The successful implementation of the project resulted in greater commitment by all partners on working more devotedly on the topic of entrepreneurial education. The project inspired the design of the proposal “STRET Teacher Toolkit”- a KA2 approved project that unites the same partners and aims to bring academic and policy momentum to the same topic by empowering the professional communities and promoting the approach at European level.

<< Objectives >>STRET TT 2 aims to increase teachers` key skills and teaching practices, and create a new generation of responsible entrepreneurs by using co-creation and co-innovation approaches to impact-oriented entrepreneurship education. As carries of skills-oriented entrepreneurship education, teachers will enhance their competencies and professional standards through development of Competencies Framework Guidelines for Entrepreneurship Teachers and Digital Tools Guide for Reflective Learning of Students<< Implementation >>STRET TT 2 will create a comprehensive Toolkit comprised of three IOs:-Entrepreneurship curricula with embodied social entrepreneurship, corporate social responsibility and philanthropy concepts-Competencies Framework Guidelines for Entrepreneurship Teachers-Digital Tools Guide for Teachers for Reflective Learning of StudentsActivities: onsite kick-off and evaluation meetings, 2 onsite trainings for partners, 12 onsite teacher-to-teacher trainings, 8 job shadowing and 5 multiplier events<< Results >>-Creation of 3 Intellectual Outputs for entrepreneurship and other teachers -Increased professional skills, knowledge and mobility of teachers-Increased capacities and know-how of 5 involved organizations-Promotion and awareness-raising of the concepts soc. entrepreneurship, corporate soc. responsibility and philanthropy -Enhanced skills, knowledge and experience of several hundred students on these concepts-Usage and exploitation of the EU`s platform for educators SELFIE and Dig.Comp.Edu

Our STRET Teacher Toolkit Project is built on this premise and experience on already built KA2 partnership from 4 counties: Lithuania, Croatia, Macedonia and Belgium. Our STRET Teacher Toolkit goes beyond teaching Entrepreneurship by adding new concepts to the knowledge and practice: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Social Entrepreneurship. These both areas have a room for further research at EU level and thus make this project more relevant and beyond the recognized potential and importance of investment in Entrepreneurial Education. The planned project activities contributed towards Improved ecosystem for promotion CSR and social entrepreneurship in and outside school, increased knowledge material on the topic for teachers, Increased capacity of the teachers in teaching about running virtual small scale business ideas, visibility of EU efforts to promote Effective Entrepreneurship Education Policy, lobbing at national and International level, increased awareness and public attention to the need of education new generations of responsible entrepreneurs. Moreover the Project has resulted not only with educational and lobbying activities but with the creation of professional teachers and expert communities that can further advocate for the integration of the STRET concept. The project has had a strong European dimension because it has searched for the roots of culture and recommendations of improving entrepreneurial education across 4 different countries and bringing recommendations at EU level by reflecting needs and success stories from the field. The main objectives was to train teachers, empower communities on the topic and further inspire them to advocate and gain momentum on the embedding of CSR and SE Modules in Entrepreneurship education and bring attention of stakeholders not to oversee this opportunity in the already hot discussion on school education and future business leaders who are Students Today (but should be)Responsible Entrepreneurs tomorrow.