The “Youth Employment / Training Foundation (IEEN) is a non-government organization (NGO) founded in 2007 by a group of professional individuals aiming to empower the youth living in Cyprus and assist in their personal and professional development.
IEEN (ΙΔΡΥΜΑ ΕΚΠΑΙΔΕΥΣΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΕΝΔΥΝΑΜΩΣΗΣ ΝΕΟΛΑΙΑΣ) is the acronym of the Foundation in Greek. and it is also the officially registered name.
Our Mission: to contribute to the professional and personal development of the youth living in Cyprus, complementing their formal education and family/societal experiences, and to provide a platform for youth to develop and create through applied projects.
Our Key Aim: to assist young people in gradually reaching their full potential.
IEEN assists young people to:
· Gain new experiences and skills
· Reflect and rethink their own values and behaviors (personal and professional)
· Become more independent (emotionally, psychologically and/or financially)
· Evaluate / rediscover themselves
· Form life goals, short term and long term
· Appreciate the needs of others, including other generations
INTER-GENERATIONAL PROJECTS
Even though IEEN was founded with young people in mind, it was soon after discovered that there are significant benefits in running intergenerational programs for both young and old. Starting from 2012, the European year of Active Ageing and intergenerational solidarity, IEEN has co-organised the Second Life Project, an inter-generational environmental program, which was the beginning of a series of intergenerational activities. Below is the link to the kick-off event of this project, which is still ongoing since 2012: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLK4DDBuYvU
FAQs
Yes. All the board of directors are volunteers and any persons employed are for administrative / management / coordinating matters and their remuneration is essentially covered from work they do for European funded and other self-funded projects.
A Mentor poses open questions to the person seeking mentoring. His/her aim is to enable the mentee to reflect on aspects he/she may have not considered before. The Mentor will not give opinions as to what the person should do, but rather aim to facilitate/ inspire the mentee to find their own path.
A consultant gives advice and may suggest a solution he believes is the appropriate one.
Young people need to make their own decisions. One or more Mentors can help them consider all key aspects of a subject they are not sure how to approach in order to reach that decision.
The final decision by a young person is ONE’S OWN, when using a Mentor.
Confidence, hard working, Integrity, Confidentiality, Team spirit, good communication skills, good organizational skills, ability to identify and solve a Problem early on, good Listening skills, Acceptance of different ways of thinking and different cultures, Flexibility, Perseverance, Leadership skills, Public speaking are some examples of personal and professional attributes. Most of these are acquired through personal and professional development. Attributes are important for the success and happiness of all people, irrespective of the profession they follow.
When they have completed 16 years of age.
The 17 founding members felt that the young Cypriot generation, whilst academically educated to a much higher level than before, often struggled to develop personal and professional characteristics necessary for professional and personal happiness, both short and long term. Carrying out surveys with all stakeholders showed that there was indeed a need for an organisation which placed emphasis on the holistic empowerment and development of youth in Cyprus.
Anyone who has completed 18 years of age can become a voting member.
Simply contact us via the website or email us at agecare@cytanet.com.cy or contact us through facebook “Youth Empowerment Foundation” and let us know your request. If unsure how to phrase it and you prefer to call, you can reach us on +357 99607567.
Our volunteers are many, with varied qualifications and experiences. They are happy to meet and discuss with you your ideas and /or challenges you are facing. They assess each case separately and suggest ways forward.They can also inform you about the running projects in case you are interested to participate and benefit from them.
Simply fill in and submit the application form with the 10 euro lifetime membership fee and nothing else.
Yes. All persons over 16
Simply contact us and we will arrange a meeting to discuss your different options of volunteering.
Absolutely! We would love to hear from you. Whilst we believe that each NGO on its own can achieve much, it is through collaboration and networking among the NGOs, academia and the private sector,that bigger goals can be achieved and society at large can maximize from the benefits. We also believe that all involved in the NGOs can learn much and profit enormously from each other’s experiences.