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#wesearchforproblems in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia: Applications open for the 3rd joint UPSHIFT workshop!

UPSHIFT is now coming together for the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia!

If you’re in a hurry, scroll to the end of the text and click on the blue APPLICATION button — on the way, check out the bolded information to find out if you can apply for the 3rd joint UPSHIFT workshop.

Find us on IG (@upshift.bosnia.and.herzegovina) or on FB (Upshift Bosnia and Herzegovina) and write to us in DM if you have questions.

What is UPSHIFT?

The UPSHIFT workshop is intended for teams of young people who notice a problem in their local communities and want to work on solving it. Through UPSHIFT, and with the support of mentors and trainers, teams learn how to design a solution to a problem and compete for cash prizes of 3,000 BAM each, which they can use to implement their solutions. If your team passes the selection process, you will come to Bijeljina for a three-day workshop where you will, with the help of mentors and our team, perfect the solutions to the problems you have identified.

The UPSHIFT program originated in the UNICEF Office of Innovation and is implemented in 38 countries worldwide. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, UPSHIFT is implemented by the Humanitarian Organization “Genesis Project” in cooperation with the UNICEF Office in BiH.

Who are these workshops for and when will they be held?

The third joint UPSHIFT workshop will be held from October 1 to October 3, 2024, and is intended for young people aged 16 to 24 from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Serbia.

Young people from marginalized groups are especially invited and encouraged to apply, such as members of the Roma population or other ethnic minorities, youth with disabilities, youth without parental care, and youth from low socio-economic status families.

How to apply?

  • Gather a team with between three and five members.

  • All members must be between 16 and 24 years old and live in Bosnia and Herzegovina or Serbia.

  • Fill out the application using the application link by September 10, 2024 (until 23:59).

The application consists of three parts:

  • recognize a problem in your local community,

  • describe the problem through a short, realistic story from everyday life, and

  • list three causes of the recognized problem.

We do not ask you to know the solution to the problem in the application!

The description of the problem should be very concrete, realistic, and something you or someone in your environment often faces personally.

It is very important that the problem is from your real environment, because only for such problems can we find a solution at the UPSHIFT workshop. Problems such as unemployment in Bosnia and Herzegovina, high poverty rates, and the like are very complex and are not problems that a team should be solving. If we focus on small, concrete, but important things, we can improve the quality of life for people in local communities and make gradual and beautiful changes for the better!

What if… you notice multiple problems and don’t know which one to apply with?

Great! Simply apply as one team multiple times, describing each problem individually. One team can apply many times, but it is necessary to complete the application again for each problem. We will look for the solution together at the workshop and learn to shape it, step by step!

THE DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS FOR THE JOINT UPSHIFT IS SEPTEMBER 10, 2024 (until 23:59)!

If you have any additional questions, contact us on IG @upshift.bosnia.and.herzegovina or via email: upshift.bih@gmail.com — and for inspiration, review what we have already done on the Facebook page or in the Instagram profile highlights, or join us at one of the info sessions.

The times and links for the Zoom info sessions are as follows:

WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR APPLICATION!!!