LOCAL EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN ITALY
The green entrepreneurial spirit
is rising in Palermo
A group of young people and trainers are
working hard to develop green business
ideas and organize an informational
campaign on green entrepreneurship
in Palermo.
A series of thematic workshops on topics
related to green entrepreneurship, held by
the Italian trainers who trained in Beja last
February, is taking place in the city during
the next few months. The program is very
rich and in addition to providing theoretical
inputs, based on practical activities and a
non-formal approach. Its structure includes
two macro activities: the development of
green entrepreneurial ideas and the design
and organization of awareness addressed to
the local community.
The first workshop started with a presentation
of the program, the participants and the trainers.
The trainers had the opportunity to tell of their
experiences during the international training
course in Beja. The afternoon continued with
team building activities and thematic sessions
dedicated to green ethics and sustainability,
green entrepreneurship definitions, leading
innovations and strategic planning.
The second workshop was dedicated to
marketing, branding and brainstorming
ideas for the informational campaign.
During the first part of the workshop,
the participants generated whimsical ideas
to reinvent and sell common objects such
as a cup or tape.
For the informational campaign, they proposed
to organize a mix of activities in a public space
in the city center of Palermo, including games
in which citizens could actively participate and
the exposition of project ideas developed
during the workshops.
In future meetings, participants will visit a
local business, Monsù, (http://www.monsu.
it/en/), which produces ice cream using local
products.
Monsù adopted sustainable solutions for its
production process such as using renewable
energy, biodegradable materials for packaging
and the reduction of waste at minimum.
After taking inspiration and motivation from
the local entrepreneur, the team will focus on
the development of business ideas.
The trainers will guide the participants in the
creation of business models. They will share
ways to improve the original ideas and finally
find the best way to present the idea at the
International Youth Exchange in Slovenia.
At the end of November, in a public square in
Palermo, the local informational campaign will
take place to sensitize citizens about green
entrepreneurship.
The trainers are demonstrating that they have
learned fundamental concepts and are able
to apply non-formal methods to transmit the
green entrepreneurial spirit to local young
people.
Young people with different backgrounds and
ambitions involved in the local activities are
showing an interest in acting in a sustainable
way in everyday life and in their future careers.
This experience will not only be a way to
learn concepts useful to becoming a green
entrepreneur, but also how to create a
business model. It will also provide a way
to enrich young people’s own ideas through
exchange with their peers and to increase
their sense of responsibility toward their local
community around relevant topics such as
sustainability.