Ashoka's Youth Venture aims to build a global movement of young people being powerful now, changemakers now. This is the foundation for an "everyone a changemaker" world, the key factor for success for every society, organization, and person.

1. Youth Venture
At A GlAnce
our VISIon
Youth Venture’s vision is a world of everyone a changema-
ker through a global culture of young people initiating po-
sitive, lasting change. Imagine what a difference it would
make in the strength of our society and in our lasting im-
pact on the world if millions more people gave themselves
permission to be changemakers.
the moVement
We bring together our Youth Venturers from around the
world into our Venturer community, with a common identity
as pioneers of youth-led change. Our Venture teams share
ideas, collaborate, and ultimately form a global movement
Through Charlotte’s Venture, SeniorConnect, teenage volunteers visit assisted
living facilities with laptop computers and help residents compose, send and
to redefine the youth years as a time of leadership and
receive e-mails, while a bond forms between the young and old. positive social impact.
Youth Venture
What if everyone in the world took initiative to improve society?
What if instead of looking to others for leadership, everyone
stepped up, addressed social challenges and led positive
change?
Youth Venture believes that the most important contribution we
can make to the world is to increase its number of changemakers.
As our world becomes smaller and global problems become
bigger, we need changemakers now more than ever.
Youth Venture aims to inspire and support an entire generation
of young people around the world to become changemakers. We
believe it is critical that people discover early on in their lives
that they can lead social change, so we invest in young people to
design and lead their own ventures that create social impact. In This Venture team in Argentina uses art as a transformative tool. They
starting social ventures, young people learn the important skills engage children in low income areas to express themselves through
of leadership, entrepreneurship, teamwork and empathy, as well painting murals that, in turn, beautify their communities.
as other practical skills, as they form teams and run ventures
together. Young people also learn that they are powerful, and Youth Venturers “have a vision to
they will likely continue to take initiative and lead again and again
throughout their lives. change the world around them...
Established by Ashoka, the world’s leading association of social they are also willing to go that extra
entrepreneurs and the pioneer of the social entrepreneurship
movement, Youth Venture is working in 14 countries on five
mile and start their own venture...to
continents, and continues to grow. catalyze social change.”
- times of India
www.genv.net

2. Youth Venture
At A GlAnce
how Youth Venture workS
Youth Venture invests in young people, enabling them to launch
their own sustainable social ventures, and then connects them
into a global network. The ventures are entirely youth-initiated
and youth-led. We reach out to young people and inspire them to
take initiative in their communities. Then we support our Ventur-
ers by providing guidance, tools, and a process for designing and
pitching their venture plans.
the Youth Venture ProceSS
When the Venturer team is ready to launch, Youth Venture of-
fers:
• seed funding
• tools and support
• allies who provide mentoring and expertise
• ongoing tools and support (e.g. workshops, online forums,
how-to booklets)
• a supportive network of fellow Youth Venturers
• identity as part of the global Youth Venture movement
After the venture has launched, we work to stay continually in-
volved with the team, and we connect Venturers into a global fel-
lowship of like-minded young people, helping them see that they
are part of something bigger, catalyzing our movement. AYUDA is a youth-led Venture educating hundreds of children with
diabetes throughout Latin America.
Outreach “Dream it. Developing Building
and Do it.” Social Selection Venture the
Marketing Workshops Venture Panel Launch Movement
“The key factor for success of any human grouping –
be it a company or a country – will be the proportion of
changemakers it has to develop new ideas, take initiative
and leAD.”
- Bill Drayton, Founder of Youth Venture
www.genv.net

3. Youth Venture
At A GlAnce
india
Natasha’s Venture, Aeena, helps young people find their civic
voice. Much of the Mumbai youth population is disillusioned
by politics – they feel that corruption reigns and that youth
interests are unrepresented. This has created a high number
of young people – particularly students – that have removed
themselves from political dialogue. However, Natasha believes
that political awareness drives social progress, and her
hopes have been bolstered by a recent influx of young Indian
politicians. She launched Aeena to turn political apathy into
activism. Her Venture strives to increase voter registration
among students by performing outreach at local campuses.
Aeena hosts a range of activities including film screenings and
discussions, all of which are aimed at engaging young people
in political dialogue of India.
mexico
RaPem, launched by Jesús (Méxica) and Juan Carlos (Smiley) with
partner organization Cauce Ciudadano, is just one example of how
young people in Mexico are using the support of Avancemos to
create positive change. After years of making a name for themselves
as rap artists, Méxica and Smiley decided it was time to teach
others, with a positive message and impact. Together, they started
RAPEM (Rap Pandillero Estilo Mexicano). Disguised as a school
for rap, RAPEM is dedicated to giving urban youths a non-violent
form of expression, with the hope of bringing together gangs across
territories and addressing stigmas that urban young people face.
Since its launch in June, RAPEM has developed and run educational
workshops and even opened a studio to provide low-cost production
services to aspiring rappers in Mexico City and the State of Mexico.
South afRica
Zaks, the leader of Township Glory, uses the arts to inspire,
encourage and empower the youth of Orange Park, a
Johannesburg fellowship. From slam poetry to dance and
theater, every young person in attendance at Township Glory
workshops has a role to play. Zaks begins every leadership
training session he runs by discussing the global Youth Venture
movement. “We’re in this room because we’re starting a
movement,” Zaks will say, addressing attendees. “We’re
tired of the way things are. We want drugs and poverty and
unemployment out of Orange Farm, and we’re going to do it.
This is a leadership movement and you’re all at the front of it.”
Zaks is creating a structure that will enable Township Glory to
expand beyond Orange Park. “I don’t want to be the only role
model. I want everyone to be role models for each other, so I
started a facilitator training program, to get teenagers trained
to help the younger kids.”
www.genv.net
www.genv.net

4. Youth Venture
At A GlAnce
BRazil
Monique, Tamires, and Ana launched Malabares Arte Circense
(Juggling Circus Art) to engage the low-income youth population
(ages 11 to 14) of São Paulo. Circus is a fun, positive medium
that promotes cooperation, relaxation, and intense phyiscal
training - all of which are critical in adolescent development.
The students of the Malabares juggling and circus workshops
not only develop physical skills and coorindation, they also gain
self-confidence and an outlet for creativity and concentration. In
its first three months of operation, Malabares offered over 40
workshops. The response has been overwhelmingly successful.
Monique, Tamires, and Ana hope that soon they will be able to
reach out to youth from all across Brazil.
india
Sumit launched Pragati to transform hospitals into warm, caring
environments so that young patients can have fun during the healing
process. Pragati engages young children who have been admitted
to hospitals with games, songs, and puppet shows. These activities
are more than simply distractions, they help to build fun rituals out of
hospital routines such as taking medicine and getting blood drawn.
This not only benefits the children being treated; Sumit also believes
that doctors are able to achieve more when dealing with happy
patients. Pragati’s approach provides the children the emotional
support they need in order to fully heal.
aRgentina
Anahí was concerned by, among other things, the high drop-
out rate among underserved youth of Berazategui, Argentina.
Convinced that youth engagement could end the trend of
marginalization and discrimination, Anahí and her friends
launched Culturalmente Hablando (Culturally Speaking). They
transformed an empty cafeteria into a community center to
provide at-risk youth academic support and a space for open
communication. Culturalmente Hablando steers kids away
from negative influences by involving them in activity planning.
Young people are engaged in creating educational workshops
and recreational events, which instills in them a sense of
dedication to their communities. The team’s vision extends past
the borders of Berazategui. Team leader Joaquin explains: “If
today’s adults believe in the integrity of young people…tomorrow
we’ll be able to carry our project nationwide.”
www.genv.net