Young Leaders Program - Second Edition (Recap)
EVENT
ERDEC held the second iteration of the “Young Leaders Program” in Prishtina, on 17 December 2022. The program brought together 25 motivated young participants, from across Kosovo, for a three-part training, equipping participants with essential skills in community planning, modern leadership and articulating clear and concise vision statements.
Cultivating leadership skills among youth and supporting them in clearly defining the vision and mission of their goals are some of the most impactful elements in empowering young people to act on overcoming the challenges their local communities face.
Within our goal to empower youth and strengthen local communities, on 17 December 2022, ERDEC held the second iteration of the “Young Leaders Program”. The event was held in Prishtina and was supported by the Department for Sports and Culture of the Municipality of Prishtina. Expanding on the success of the first edition of the “Young Leaders Program”, the organization brought together 25 aspiring young leaders from across Kosovo to participate in the immersive training program.
Participants have engaged in lectures, workshops and discussions around modern leadership and how to make a difference in their communities. The program has provided a platform for participants to engage together through sharing invaluable experiences and new ideas, on how to overcome the challenges faced by local communities around Kosovo. The program was comprised of three modules:
Articulating clear vision and mission statements
Planning and implementing projects
Modern leadership
Articulating clear vision and mission statements
The initial session focused on identifying significant yet actionable issues that plague the communities of the participants and ensuring that these were broken down into smaller bite-size problems that young people can address.
Through a combination of theory, interaction and workshop, participants explored the importance of articulating clear vision and mission statements. Additionally, participants articulated their vision and mission statements which would address the issues identified in the first part of the session. Through teaching participants how to define encountered issues clearly in a vision statement and then unite people around the common vision and work together synergistically towards betterment of the societies we live in, we aim to empower participants to action their goals and act on change.
Planning and implementing projects
The second session focused on empowering the participants to pursue the visions they had formulated during the previous module. Through engaging workshops and lectures, the participants learned how to identify potential funding sources to pursue their goals. Furthermore, by getting familiar with the fundamental principles of project management and how to set clear and measurable intermediary targets, participants were able to develop clear actions plans which could help guide their work.
Through games and tasks, participants learned how to build diverse teams with complementary skill sets. In doing so, they uncovered the undeniable truth that communities must work together to overcome shared challenges, and that driving change collectively can be far more effective and rewarding.
Modern Leadership
During the third session participants uncovered the characteristics of strong leadership and what it means to be a leader in the 21st century. Through hands-on workshops and group activities, participants practiced debating stances with which they initially do not agree with, learning how to see things from different perspectives. Additionally, participants learned the common ways of motivating people, understanding that there is a wide range of factors that drive people’s motivation.
We aimed to also provide fundamental insights on how to criticize and accept criticism, as well as how to complement and accept good words. These fundamental aspects of group dynamics aim to help the young leaders in overcoming challenges when working with diverse stakeholders.
Socializing and Network-Building Activities
Between training sessions, ERDEC organized social activities to encourage participants to form connections and build new networks within the group. These interactions were a significant part of the event’s mission to build collaborative networks of motivated young leaders.
ERDEC extends its sincere thanks to the Department for Sports and Culture of the Municipality of Prishtina for their invaluable support, and to the dedicated young leaders who contributed to this inspiring program.