In the framework of the NewGenerationSkills project, a Social Innovation Lab for Youth named FEJS(T)SPEJS, was opened in Tkalka, Cooperative Society for the Development of Social and Technological Innovations on 20 September 2018.

At the opening the mayor of the Municipality of Maribor greeted the participants of the event. After that the Slovenian partners of the project, the Municipality of Maribor and the PRIZMA Foundation presented what FEJS(T)SPEJS can offer to young people. They brought the social economy and social innovations closer to the audience  in an interesting way (through a quiz on mobile phone) and winner receiwed a prize.

The whole program was entertaining and involving the youth. The most special part was when successful young social innovators shared stories about their way getting involved with social entrepreneurship. Marko Funkl (Cooperative Consensus), Bogdan Dobnik (Bolje so.p.) and Katja Zajko (RECOSI d.o.o., so.p.) told about their own stories. The opening event ended with a game in which the attendees designed the city of their future - the kind of Maribor they would like to live in 2025.

Karina Šenveter

(Municipality of Maribor)