PIF IMPRESS

UDRUGA ZA PROMICANJE POZITIVNE AFIRMACIJE MLADIH U DRUŠTVU “IMPRESS” DARUVAR

PARTNER IDENTIFICATION FORM

BASIC INFORMATION:

ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION:

TYPE OF ORGANIZATION:

STATUS OF ORGANIZATION:

ACCREDITATION:

BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Impress is an organization that works global more than 15 years and actively contribute to community. Impress headquarter is Daruvar, Bjelovar-bilogora county, Croatia, but has 5 more offices in Bjelovar, Grubišno Polje, Zagreb and rural area Sirač and Bastaji. Impresss cooperate with more than 90 partners from 35 different countries and organize global events, actively is involved in national, European and world levels with the mission to give equal opportunities for everyone, especially concentrated on youth. Impress is Eurodesk Multiplicator– member of information network of European Comission, has Youth center, Youth Info center that is part of European Counseling and informing Agency, Volunteer Center, STEM Center,  Intergeneration center, Start-up incubator, Job club, Child Center. Impress is acreditated for European Solidarity Corps- hosting, coordinating and sending organization, Erasmus+ center giving opportunities for young people, especially in rural areas to take part in different Erasmus+ programmes.

Impress has more then 30 workers, every year more than 100 international volunteers, Through these years we have sent and received more than 3000 young people and youth workers on different Erasmus+ projects. Yearly Impress has around 7 interns and has a lot of experts that are working on different programmes of Impress.

Impress has been actively involved in local and international (youth) projects and has implemented more than 180 different projects and is actively contributing through 4 different dimensions:

1. OPEN YOUTHWORK– Impress is organizing mobility youthwork and open youthwork, trainings for youthworkers, leading youth centers, offering different activities for young as: dance, sport, STEM, free librabrary, VR playstation, computers, board games, programming, robots, youthwork in schools
2. ADVOCACY- DIALOGUE WITH DECISION MAKERS
   • Representatives in different boards like: Youth Councils, Youth Advisory Board of the Government of Republic of Croatia, Working groups and Comitees in different relevant ministries on topic of youth, counseling, volunteering, EU funds
   • Organizing of different conferences for United Nations, State secretary for youth and demography, Croatian Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Educationand many more.
3. NON- FORMAL EDUCATION– Impress is organizing many educations that are led by experts, psychologists, researchers especially in area of: STEM activities supported by Ministry of Education, Leadership training, Volunteering, Sport, Methodology of Teaching, Start-ups, NEET, Soft skills, Education for Teachers. Through our activities and actively involvement of youth we are contributing that young people have more opportunities and that are more concurrent for labour market.

4. INITIATIVES AND PROJECT WHICH ARE PUTTING EMPHASIZE ON POSITIVE VALUES
   • Human rights and concrete work with marginalized groups
   • Social Enterprise
   • Innovation
   • Global Sustainable developmental Goals and SDG Ambassadors Network
   • Health protection: physical and mental health, counselling and psychological support, public health actions, conferences
   • Education and Research
   • Culture and Art

Young people are actively involved in all our projects from the idea creation phase to project writing, implementation, and reporting, encouraging young people to take active role, lead their own projects and implement their ideas, to become young leaders.

We have received numerous awards, among which we would like to highlight the award for the best national project in 2016 as part of the Charlemagne Youth Prize organized by the European Parliament and the Charlemagne Foundation of Aachen for our International Youth Week project that we organize every year in August and till now we have hosted young people from all around the world.

Impress Association is funded by European Social Funds, Ministry of Labour Market, Pension and Social Welfare of Republic of Croatia, Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of External Affairs, State Secretary for Youth and Demography, Erasmus+ programme.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCES AND ACTIVITIES

Impress has been active non formal from 2008 and till now implemented more than 180 projects so far at local, regional, national, European, and world levels, employing more than 30 workers and experts in different areas, have offices in 6 different cities, engaging more than 100 local and international volunteers per year. Impress through enourmos human ressoources and experience have already very well organized all working procedures, protocols, taking care about all details and risk assessment in different areas. This experience will allow us to contribute to the objectives of the current proposal. Competencies that Impress have, number of people involved in different segments are relevant to any project.

We have carried out various projects on different topics and here are some examples:

1. YOUTH – GENERAL POPULATION
   • International Youth Camp. Educational camp organized every year in August, awarded project for the best national project inside of European Charlemagne Youth Prize, organized for more than 80 young people in nature and is open for young people all around the world. Young people are encouraged to be leaders and through project we are raising awareness about climate changes, Sustainable developmental goals, poverty and also other topics. Young people are taking part in different activities and taking active leadership role: SPORTS (Basketball, Football, Hockey, Volleyball, Baseball, Swimming, Table tennis, Futsal), FINE ART STUDIES (Painting, Wood painting and chipping, Face painting , T-shirt painting, Music, Dance, Drama), CLUBS BY INTERESTS (Camp newspaper, Photography club, Dance club, Outdoor sports club, Cooking club), LIFE SKILLS IN NATURE (Theoretical and applied nature training, Compass usage, Orienteering, Low rope tracks, Spider web, Safe fire in nature setting up tents, Mountaineer knots, First aid practices in nature, Nature hiking training), UNFORGETTABLE CAMP EVENINGS (Barbecue and campfire with music, Treasure Hunt, Special themed discussion nights, Karaoke). International Youth Camp Impress is upported by Croatian Parliament- Department for Family, Sport and Youth, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Croatia to the United Nations New York, President of Republic of Croatia.
   • International Student Day- day connects all high schools in the county and every year brings together representatives so they can talk about challenges, new ideas, how to help new generations, present their ideas to their teachers, and regional government representatives, debate about the current situation in education. Also, important topics are what to do after high school, how to choose the best university, how to contribute to community.
   • Youth Center Impress founded by State secretary for youth and demography, providing a modern space on 120 square meters for all young people with 10 different zones where young people can spend free time together or can be part of some activities in their interests. Youth Center Impress is open from 8 am till 8 pm 5 days a week with extra events during weekends and it is well equipped with a gaming facility (with over 100 different types of games which ranges from computer games to field tool games), learning tools for youth, a state-of-the-art office facility for both workers and volunteers, a modernised playroom, a special hangout place, the facility has over 20 computers and 5 laptops including large LED flat screen TVs that are very useful when it comes to engaging young people visually, the place has Play Station 4 and 5, VR playstation, free library with literature on English and Croatian, kitchen/lobby area with modern equipped kitchen and always available free coffee, juices, snacks. Also, meanwhile working in 5 different branches, Impress keeps acting as a mobile youth center via providing transportation for kids, and adults in the villages nearby.
   • Info Youth Center providing free information 40 hours a week, online and offline, portal with new information for young people and monthly newsletter Voice of Impress. Info youth workers are educated by European Counseling and Informing Agency and Impress has trainer of trainers in area of informing youth.
   • Eurodesk Impress is member of Eurodesk and giving young people information about Erasmus+ programs and youth workers, Impress is organizing very actively Time to move champagnes.
   • Erasmus+ center organized and systemized activities of exchanging for all young people, giving information about opportunities and support for young people that are travelling, contact center for all international partners. Through these years we have sent and received more than 3000 young people and youth workers on different projects.

2. NEET GROUPS OF YOUNG PEOPLE
   • I am also becoming active The project entitled “I am also becoming active” will be implemented over 24 months in Bjelovarsko-Bilogorska County. The main goal of the project is to include young people for active participation in the labor market through the inclusion of NEET persons (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) from the Bjelovarsko-Bilogorska County through educational programs, “soft skills” workshops, and personal development support.

3. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES
   • Stem club Project funded by the Ministry of Science and Education, its main objective is to promote STEM knowledge amongst children, raise awareness of the importance of STEM areas. Throughout the project, children go through several workshops within the classroom, and each weekend they have designed additional elective workshops and mathematical tasks through their approach to the world of mathematics.
   • 1-2-3 Success project funded by Ministry of Science and Education implemented in rural Elementary School. The goal is education of teachers about non-formal methodology that they can learn in formal education, providing to children in school better conditions for activities outside of formal education like educational games, helping with learning.
   • FEELS- Foster Emotional Education of Local Societies
   • The world is your CANVAs-social media tools in NGOs
   • IN & EXtrovert – soft skills are for everyone
   • Good leadership – succesfull youth exchange
   • Ready 2 work
   • Mentoring Mentors
   • Lead the way
   • Learning to Learn
   • Wordly Words- Language club!

4. HEALTH
   • INTERNATIONAL HEALTH WEEK project created with students from the Medical University of Zagreb, each year we gather more than 20 medical students and young doctors, and we work on raising awareness about health, prevention, and a healthy lifestyle. Also, we visit nursing homes, and we provide the basics of mental health services and counseling for users. International Health week is organized in cooperation with European Social and Economic Funds, The School of Public Health “Andrija Štampar”. Through Health week we have organized different education activities for more than 2000 young people in different high schools, elementary schools on the topic of Mental health, cancer prevention, reproductive health, hygiene, First Aid.
   • Sweet, sweet life!
   • The Balance in you
   • Digital Detox
   • PATH-TRY: EmPATHy through poetry
   • The two worlds: balancing online and offline living
   • Safebook – Impress was partner to project of Club for Youth Empowerment 018 (KOM 18) with the objective to develop new methods of youth work in the field of youth safety issues in local communities in 4 countries. Main result of the “Safebook” project is development of a new and youth friendly manual for youth workers and educators in general in the field of youth safety and security. Main segments of the manual are: Situation analysis regarding safety of young people in Serbia, Italy, Croatia and North Macedonia; Thematic workshops: Peer Violence, Cyberbullying, Discrimination, Psychoactive substances and Mental Health (especially in time of COVID-19 pandemic); Creative workshops: Concept Photography, Concept Video and Concept Music and finally the examples of the manual use. Safebook in link: https://udruga-impress.hr/en/safebook-prirucnik-o-sigurnosti-mladih/
   • Self ESTeam. All Poems Matter
   • EQ+: emotional intelligence in international volunteering projects
   • MINDFUL(L)
   • From Happiness to Wellness 2.0
   • Good Mentors, Happy Volunteers!
   • Coolinar workshops– organizing thematic coolinar workshops and videos on the topic of Healthy cooking, taking care about buying right ingredients and encouraging young people to prepare food.

5. SPORT
   • All for one, sport for all!
   • Amateur foothbal tournament organized with more than 16 amateur football teams in Daruvar, Croatia.
   • Sport center for outdoor activities organizing different outdoor activities for children and youth and providing amateur sport for young people in different areas, especial rural areas

6. HUMAN RIGHTS

• Freedom of expression: speak free but speak no hate This project aimed to empower youth workers, youth leaders, and active volunteers, equip them with the competencies necessary to recognize and act against such human rights violations and provide them with different tools and methods of non-formal education that they can use in work with young people in their local communities and NGOs. We believe that hate speech is also linked to women’s status as some of them get discriminated against based on their gender. It is important to have a discussion with young people to create a safe environment where our girls can grow up being treated with respect in their personal life.
• gender equality starts now This project was motivated by the increasing need to combat the still existing problem of gender inequality. Although gender equality is a human right, we are still struggling to change the structural foundations of inequality. To achieve gender equality, we need a new, productive, strategic partnership that encourages action towards the change, with a renewed commitment to bringing positive results. Inspired by this need, the focus of this project was discussing gender equality with partner countries and finding effective methods which will implement gender equality in youth work through networking.
• Taking Actions Through Counter-Alternatives and Narratives – HATE SPEECH IS NOT AN OPTION!
• ToT: facilitating “hot potato “topics with multicultural groups
• Prevention of poverty and social exclusion financed by Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy. According to official data in Croatia, every fifth child lives at risk of poverty and social exclusion, so this project is aimed directly at working with children, teachers, and parents, then conducting a media campaign and organizing professional gatherings to raise public awareness of children’s needs. Namely, solving this problem first requires public awareness that the problem exists and systematic and multidisciplinary work on prevention. Through further implementation, children will be more educated, they will feel socially included in society and among their peers. Our fun and interactive workshops are enable them to acquire and master new competencies that will be very important and useful in their further development. These activities are carried out at the level of Bjelovar-Bilogora County and give equal opportunities to kids and young to learn, have free help in learning, support, free educational activities.
• Combating Cyber Racism and Xenophobia
• Counter and alternative narratives against islamophobia
• YE – Hate Speech
• Hate is not an option: countering islamophobia in Europe
• Youth&Tolerant
• What About Human Rights?
• Freedom of expression: the right or the duty?
• NoHateMakers in action: combating hate speech in EuroMed
• Peace through Democracy
• Taking actions through counter and alternative narratives – HATE SPEECH IS NOT AN OPTION!
• Refugees Integration vs. Discrimination
• EuROMedia
• Counseling for Victims of Violence through this project Impress is cooperating with different psychologists, therapists and giving free counseling in support of Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy. Through this project we are giving support to victims of violence and encouraging them.

7. SOCIAL INOVATION

• House of Opportunities is a space that offers an opportunity to strengthen skills and capacities and strengthen the cooperation of all generations. A central place where youth in Daruvar can come and use the internet, network with others, meet new people, start their project, if they need, they can receive free psychological counseling, help with learning, propose new ideas, comment on the current situation in the local community. The project, funded by EU Social Funds through Office for NGOs of the Government of Reppublic of Croatia, strengthens existing and builds new social networks and increases the quality of human resources and contributes to building trust and reciprocity between citizens and decision-makers at local, regional, national, and European levels. As part of the call, the participation space of the association Impress in partnership with the City of Daruvar and the Center for the Development of Personal Competencies and Human Rights decided to make the space of its association even better and more accessible to users of all ages. The main goal of the project is to develop a program for the revitalization of publicly owned space through a partnership between NGOs and the local community.

8. SDG (SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS)
   • Sustainable Developmental Goals Time! Impress is actively involved in promoting 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Environmental clean-up actions and education of citizens on the global problem of environmental pollution and ways in which we can help to achieve 17 SDGs.
   • Cicala Plastic Free-Art!
   • The Green Rural Hub
   • BiodiverCity
   • EcoActive

9. VOLUNTEERING
   • Volunteering Center of Opportunities through this project we are educating organizers of different volunteer actions, organizing volunteers actions, systematically taking care about competences that local and international volunteers have through volunteering actions and organizing educations. We are taking care about webpage volontiraj.hr
   • Impress Volunteering 3.0
   • Impress Volunteering 2.0
   • Impress Volunteering
   • Impress 2.0
   • Society needs you!
   • Do EVS to Impress

10. LABOUR MARKET
    • Booster for Digital Entrepreneurship
    • Hike the Entrepreneurial Dream
    • ZAŽELI programe– program which is helping women that are marginalized on labour market
    • Incubator of Practice in Professional Area for all professions

11. CULTURE
    • Confluence of Cultures
    • hr is project that are engaging different artists and organizing online activities for all people around Croatia, through portal www.kulturnjak.hr that project is taking care about different area of culture all around the world.

12. INTERGENERATION CENTER
    • Kids living room– helping with learning, educational games
    • Activities for Elderlies– visiting elderly houses, organized activities
    • Family support– activities for parents and support

13. EMPOWERING IN CRISIS SITUATIONS
    • Empowering ourselves for empowering others – NGO 112 publications, education, capacity building for employees and volunteers, education of employees, organized round table and focus groups on the topic of crisis
    • Institutional support– protocols and programs, risk assessment that is ensuring quality of Impress activities and all projects

14. ADVOCACY LEVEL
    • Organizing conference “We are also here: active in Society”
    • Organizing conference “Dialogue with young people” with more than 100 young people and 9 ministries as part of EU Youth Conference 2020.
    • Organizing conference “From grassroots to global: Young people as the SDGs ambassadors at local level”, 18.4.2022. like part of Economic and Social Council United Nations Youth Forum
    • Organizing activities for EU Youth Dialogue
    • Researches on topic on youth and preparing programs for youth for local and regional level

EXPERTISE OF THE PERSONS INVOLVED

Impress team has more then 30 employees, a lot of long term local and international volunteers with different qualification and experiences: psychologists, economists, youth workers, university professors, teachers, entrepreneurs, students, high school students, doctors, dentists and many others. All share a common goal of working for community development and the well-being of society and mission of giving equal opportunities for all young people. We will shortly present some of the persons involved:

TANJA HERCEG, mag.psych. , PhD. student,

President and Founder of Impress Association, first UN Youth Delegate of Republic of Croatia, President of Advisory Board of the Government of Republic of Croatia on the topic of youth from 2018-2020, creator of many projects, researcher, educator, activist and youth worker. Tanja Herceg has enormous experience working in different fields: private sector, entrepreneurship, public sector as Advisor in Regional Agency of Development in area of implementation of projects, and more than 15 years experience in non-profit organizations and volunteering. Tanja is organizer of big events on national and international levels that are dialogues between youth and different ministries, UN representatives.  Rewarded by University of Zagreb, Croatian Studies, for extracurricular activities and work. Founder of two companies, one in the energy power plant area and another in psychology, accounting and consulting. Tanja Herceg was choosen as young person representing youth in EU Youth Conference during Croatian presidency of the Council of European Union 2020 and she has organized dialogue between more than 100 young people and 9 ministries of Republic of Croatia, she is author of the project Ambassadors of Sustainable Developmental Goal. She is author and leader of Youth Center Impress.  Tanja Herceg is trainer in training courses and facilitator.

DUBRAVKO ŠOPAR, executive director,

sport pilot, entrepreneur, executive director of Impress, active promotor and worker of “No Hate Speech Movement”, creator and leader of many projects, former president of Association for informing youth of Croatia. Active advocate on youth politics and policies in Croatia, former member of Advisory Board on Youth of the Croatian Government. One of the leaders of a project for creating new national youth program, educated as a trainer on youth informing and counseling by ERYICA. Coordinator of EVS/ESC program in Impress association. Economist by academic background he is also involved in teaching and training new youthworkers, entrepreneurs and working with young people on their personal and professional development. Dubravko is trainer in training courses and facilitator.

BOŽIDAR NIKŠA TARABIĆ, advisor

Božidar is psychologist and consultant, scientists that is taking care about scientifically foundation of implemented methods, evaluator of different activities and facilitator.

MANDA MIJATOVIĆ, coordinator

Social worker, youth worker, involved in the association from a young age as a volunteer and now as a worker. Has been involved in a few Erasmus+ projects as a participant and team leader. Has experience in working with children and youngsters. She is head of the Volunteering Center on a local and national level with European Solidarity Corps volunteers. She is also a mentor to the ESC volunteer and provides them with constant and additional support if needed.  Also involved in projects and activities with children and elderly people. Manda is taking care about dissemination of Erasmus+ programs and projects.

MATEA RUŽIĆ, mag.ing.amb, professional associate

Has a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering and graduate study in Water Management, she is a youth worker. She is involved in many different projects, has independently implemented, and completed several large projects, and works with all generations.  She participated in several Erasmus+ projects both as a participant and team leader. Involved in STEM activities and including kids in that field of knowledge.  She is also a mentor and supervisor to European Solidarity Corps Volunteers in the association. She is also a member of the board of the Bjelovarsko- Bilogorska County Partnership Council. In team Matea is included in checking following the protocols and administration.

NIKOLINA VOJTA, coordinator

Youth leader, member of Advisory Board of the Government of Republic of Croatia on the topic of youth, student of social work at the Law University of Zagreb, involved in children and youth projects and programs in association, she created and implemented many projects from local to regional level and an important part of our mobility projects. She initiated a group of young people (14-16 years) and created two youth exchanges for them. She is also specialized in sports activities, and she was involved in 7 ERASMUS+ projects, where she played many roles, from participants in her first mobilities to team leader in her last activity at beginning of March. Nikolina is facilitator.

BOJAN BLAŽEVIĆ, coordinator

Logistic and engineering support. The person responsible for designing and implementing STEM activities for children and young people, logistical and organizational support in the implementation and organization of projects, care for dissemination. In charge of photo and video activity tracking and organization of materials online and offline.

VLADIMIR KEREČENI, vice president

Vladimir is orientated on human rights, fulfilment of potential of youth and he is facilitator of the projects. Vladimir is especially orientated in preventing poverty and social exclusion of children and young people.

Volunteers

ONURHAN OZTURK

Bacc. In International relations. During his volunteering process, he wrote a youth exchange project about Empathy by including persons with and without disabilities. Furthermore, he has experience in event photography, and thus he is helping to take care of photos and videos for the association. He has some workshops, such as learning a new language and how to take photos. Onurhan is helping with all local activities as leading workshops and office helping.

EYLUL BASCI

Social worker taking care about leading creative workshops, language workshops, helping about Erasmus+ and Eurodesk center, helping with organizing activities for elderly. She is helping in organizing workshops in school and with international volunteers.

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DISSEMINATION INFO:

www.udruga-impress.hr I www.icm-mogucnosti.info I www.volontiraj.hr

Facebook: @udruga.impress  I Instagram.com/udruga.impress i @impressvolunteers Youtube: @udrugaimpress     I   Twitter:  @udrugaimpress I Linkedin : Udruga za promicanje pozitivne afirmacije mladih u društvu “Impress”

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LAST UPDATE: 12.2.2023.