Participation in the training
20.10.2021
On October 15-17, 2021, training for future mentors of the UPSHIFT program from Luhansk and Donetsk regions took place.
Oksana Husakova, a teacher at the Department of Oriental Languages, has become one of the mentors and will represent the Luhansk region.
UPSHIFT is a global innovation program of UNICEF, implemented in more than 20 countries by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). In Ukraine, the program is implemented jointly with the NGO “Professional Development Fund of Kharkiv”.
UPSHIFT is a program that allows adolescents and young people to offer and implement innovative solutions to current problems in school, community, city, etc. based on the Human Centered Design approach. With the help of an experienced mentor, the team of participants step by step explore the selected problem, study the target audience and test their ideas. As a result, teams create project ideas and have the opportunity to attract funding for their implementation.
The UPSHIFT program combines social innovation training, mentoring and financial support. It provides young people with the skills and resources to identify the problems of their communities and offer innovative solutions to those problems. The program develops the vitality of young people, and their communities benefit from the solutions offered by young people.
What are the stages of the UPSHIFT program?
- Ten finalist teams undergo trainings, during which they create their own projects. Each team is accompanied by a mentor.
- The teams present their project ideas to the jury, after which they select five teams that will receive funding for their projects in the amount of UAH 50,000.
- Selected teams have three months to implement projects. During all this time, they will be supported and advised by mentors and experts.
