EU4Youth: International conference on social student companies held in Chișinău

On 4 July, dozens of youth-led social enterprises met in Chișinău during the international conference on ‘Social Student Companies in Action’. The event, organised by EcoVisio under the EU4Youth programme,  brought together over 150 participants from Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine – students, teachers, entrepreneurs, mentors, and representatives of the organisations involved in the programme. 

The event gave young people the chance to present their businesses, discuss the challenges they faced, and explore ideas for cross-border collaboration.

“Through the EU4Youth programme, we aimed to give young people real tools to shape their future. Social entrepreneurship offers them the chance to turn their concern for their communities into concrete actions with a direct impact,” said Dalia Krapavickaitė, Senior Project Manager at the Central Project Management Agency (CPVA). “This project proves that, regardless of the socio-economic context, young people in the Eastern Partnership have the energy, ideas, and courage needed to create change. We are here to support their journey – from a classroom idea to an initiative that can inspire an entire region.”

Along with the exhibits from young people in Armenia, Georgia, and Ukraine, six vocational-technical schools from Moldova presented their products at the fair and shared their experience of starting a social business from school, under the project ‘Fostering Youth Social Entrepreneurship and Practical Career Management Skills in Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Armenia Through the Innovative Social Student Companies (SSC) Approach’:

• IP Soroca Agricultural Technical College – The student social enterprise ‘ECOImpact’ manufactures and sells iron products. Its social mission is focused on promoting ecological solutions and care for the environment within the community.
• Ungheni Vocational School – The student social enterprise ‘MetalRecicArt – From Waste to Creations’ creates products by reprocessing metal from old objects, such as basins and grills. Even at this early stage, students have already exported their first products to Italy and Germany.
• IP ‘Centre of Excellence in Horticulture and Agricultural Technologies’ in Țaul – The student social enterprise ‘EcoCreate-33’ produces customised paper bags, promoting the replacement of plastic bags with reusable paper alternatives.
• Căușeni Vocational School – The student social enterprise ‘PROsocial’ produces wooden souvenirs, educational toys, personalised items, and more.
• Cupcini Vocational School, Edineț – The student social enterprise ‘StudioCreativSocial’ offers photography, editing, and document/photo printing services. Its social mission is based on supporting and integrating students with special educational needs.
• Theoretical High School in Cazaclia, Gagauzia (UTA) – The student social enterprise “Лоскутный рай” (‘Patchwork Paradise’) plans to produce and sell handmade items using recycled fabrics.

The experience offered by EcoVisio and funded by the EU4Youth programme – through training, resources, mentorship, and mini-grants – allowed teachers to create an authentic learning process and creative environment. Students were involved not only in production, but also in management, promotion, and organisation. By the time they graduate, they will already have a solid foundation in social entrepreneurship.

Violeta Guțuleac, teacher at the Țaul Centre of Excellence, says that young people are the ones who can bring real change to society: “As teachers – and often as parents too – we tend to protect students, to make sure everything is under control, especially when it comes to managing money correctly. Throughout the project, we learned to be patient and support each other. The students were highly motivated to develop a social business; they already show a different awareness of social issues.”

The School Social Enterprise model was initially tested in Ukraine and Germany, then extended to Armenia, Georgia, and Moldova thanks to a consortium led by ChildFund Germany.

The ‘EU4Youth Phase III Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship’ programme, funded by the EU and Lithuania, is implemented by the Central Project Management Agency (CPVA) in the Eastern Partnership countries, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. The programme will run until the middle of 2025 and aims to provide technical assistance to governmental and non-governmental organisations to tackle youth unemployment and improve employability.

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