The Foundation for Partnership and Civil Society Development
Successfully implemented the first Community case study program of the Foundation and FET
Foundation for Partnership and Civil Society Development in cooperation with the Faculty of Economics and Tourism "Dr. Mijo Mirković ”in Pula successfully conducted the first “Community case study” program.
The Community case study program method was developed by the Foundation through the + Resilient project, with the aim of introducing students to the nonprofit sector, encouraging students to get involved in the work of associations and sensitizing students about the difficulties and challenges faced by vulnerable groups. Upon completion of the program, students offered associations new, creative ideas to address the challenges they face.
Helga Možé, director of the Foundation who led the entire program, points out that it is very important in the context of socially useful learning, to connect students and civil society organizations and point out to students the opportunities that exist, not only social action in the community through civil society but also for employment or self-employment opportunities in the sector.
The program was attended by 36 first-year graduate students of FET, majoring in Economics and Management and Entrepreneurship. Divided into six teams, the students worked together for two months to find solutions to the challenges that the associations presented at the beginning of the program. Challenges were related to insufficient visibility of associations in society, especially among young people, insufficient awareness of young women about breast cancer, insufficient readiness of young people to volunteer, ignorance of the needs of the local community and the like.
The program was attended by associations from the area of Pula: the Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing of the Istrian County, the Association of Youth of the Sand Bay "Peškafondo", the Club of Women Treated for Breast Cancer Gea and the Volunteer Center Istria. Students have developed and presented six concrete solutions that associations can initiate and implement in a short period of time. Representatives of associations assessed the proposed solutions as interesting and confirmed the possibility of their imminent implementation. It is worth noting that some students expressed their willingness to further cooperate with associations in the process of implementing the proposed solutions.
Community case study program held as part of the course Socially Responsible Business, lecturer Assoc. Kristina Afrić Rakitovac. The interactive work process, challenging teamwork and positive feedback from all participants is an incentive for the continuation of further cooperation between FET and the Foundation Istria, said Professor Afrić Rakitovac.
The project "+ Resilient" is funded by the Interreg Mediterranean 2014-2020 program from the European Regional Development Fund and co-financed by the Office for Non-Governmental Organizations of the Government of the Republic of Croatia. The project involves 14 partners from 8 Mediterranean countries and aims to network, connect and transfer knowledge and good practices to encourage and develop social innovation and influence the creation of stronger institutional support at the European level.