Overview:
The International Youth Initiative Program (YIP) is a holistic educational program that strengthens young people’s capacity to take initiative in the face of current global challenges. 20-40 participants aged 18 to 28, from all over the world, live and learn together for 10 months in Järna, Sweden. YIP is not a standard educational program, but more a year-long lifestyle. Living together with 40 other young people, being together every day, makes up a big part of what YIP is. It is impossible to do justice to what this means on paper. It is intense, beautiful, rich, and challenging. Alumni often say that the life together is where many of the challenges and subsequent transformations took place for them.
The purpose of the International Youth Initiative Program is to foster in young people a holistic understanding of the current challenges humanity faces and to empower them to use entrepreneurial principles and skills to create initiatives and change within themselves that meet these challenges while practicing collaboration and moral integrity. YIP is global in scope and international in concept and sees real benefits in bringing young people together from all parts of the world to reflect on the meaning and impact of globalization. YIP pays tribute to young peoples’ potential and ability as cultural creatives within local communities and society at large.
Details:
- Length: 10 months (August – June)
- Apply: There is no clear deadline listed on the website, but best to apply around December in prep for the upcoming year
Spud’s Thoughts:
I learned of YIP during my time living in Sweden. Having met a few friends who completed the program, I can attest to the impact it has on the participants who go through the experience. Any alternative education program that incorporates living together in community scores an extra point in my world – not only do you learn from incredibly wise individuals, but you get to live alongside them for a full year. I’m also a big fan of Scandanavia in general – a place that often feels a few years ahead when it comes to designing systems that source our collective wisdom for a better world.
