Press releases (english)

The grant program for youth ‘Make a Connection - Připoj se’ continues with its 8^th year! The Civil Society Development Foundation (NROS) and Nokia contribute 3 million CZK to projects of young people.

Prague, 28-01-2009 – The 8^th year of successful ‘Make a Connection – Připoj se’ program offers an opportunity to young people between 16 and 26 years to get financial support for their own community projects. In the Czech Republic the program is implemented by the Civil Society Development Foundation (NROS) in cooperation with and under the auspices of Nokia and the International Youth Foundation (IYF). The program aims are to support young people and their own projects, and to assist them in their further education and in gaining important life skills and experience.

Such projects of young people need to comply with two fundamental terms and conditions. They should be focused outwards, i.e. on providing help to or improving the community and neighbourhood these young people live in. Further on, projects should be carried out by volunteers, i.e. the project team should work for free. Projects offer a chance to young people to establish contacts and cultivate relations with their community, families and friends, and in effect also with themselves.

According to Hana Šilhánová, the Director of NROS, “the ‘Make a Connection’ program is appealing because it addresses a wide spectrum of young people who would like to do something useful for their community but are not sure how to do that and do not have the know-how and resources to do so. And volunteering is then a way to gain the experience required and to participate in something rewarding and beneficial.”

The ‘Make a Connection - Připoj se’ program has so far supported nearly 500 volunteer projects of young people with 3,800 volunteers directly involved. The projects have had a positive impact on lives of next to 200,000 people. The average grant allocated per project was 23,000 CZK.

In addition to funds for implementation of their projects, several days of training are provided to young people where they can learn more about project management and improve their abilities and skills essential for successful project execution, including communication with the media or fundraising.

“This year the training will be interactive and practice-oriented, focusing on skills you usually cannot acquire in schools,” said Hana Šilhánová. “Afterwards, the young trainees shall pass their experience and know-how to their peers and project team members, which should be a new and interesting experience for all parties concerned.”

“We are glad that we can on local level support young people who invest incredible energy and enthusiasm in resolution of significant issues and problems they see around them,” Ján Kolimár, General Manager of Nokia Poland, Czech Republic and Slovak Republic, assessed the program benefits, and he continued by saying: “These young people know best what is required in their community and they come up with great ideas how to achieve that. We are fully on their side and ready to continue our support in coming years.”

Main part of the ‘Make a Connection – Připoj se’ promo campaign has been scheduled for February and March this year. A new spot supporting the program will become a distinctive part of the campaign. The spot is featuring e.g. Aleš Valenta, the Olympic gold medal winner from Salt Lake City 2002.

Young people between 16 and 26 years can apply for the program with their projects by 31^st March 2009. Evaluating committee will choose best projects from various areas of life of young people, regardless of whether the projects concentrate on environment protection, organization of sports tournaments, assistance to a disabled schoolmate or cultural development. Supported projects will be implemented from July 2009 to December 2009. All information about participation in the program and project application (grant application form) is available on www.pripojse.cz.

About the “Make a Connection – Připoj se” program

Make a Connection – Připoj se is part of a global initiative by Nokia and the International Youth Foundation (IYF). Its aim is to support the positive development of young people by offering them the opportunity to create closer ties with their families, peers and their environment in general. The program expands the educational opportunities for young people, and helps them to acquire the experience they need for their lives and to take an active role in their community. In April 2002 the “Make a Connection – Připoj se” program was launched in the Czech Republic as a joint initiative between the Civil Society Development Foundation (NROS) and Nokia. The program has been operating throughout the Czech Republic since 2008. The Civil Society Development Foundation (NROS) is responsible for the overall management and coordination of the program. More information about the “Make a Connection – Připoj se” program is available at www.pripojse.cz.

About The Civil Society Development Foundation (NROS)

The Civil Society Development Foundation (NROS) strives to reinforce the position of the non-profit sector in the Czech Republic through philanthropy and voluntary work, and through projects that contribute to development of civic society and to European integration. The Foundation supports non-profit organizations and governmental agencies working with endangered or disadvantaged groups; protects human rights, democratic values, tolerance, and respect for the rights of minorities; and increases public awareness about these issues. One of the Foundation’s main target groups are children and young people. More information about NROS is available at www.nros.cz

About Nokia

Nokia is committed to having a positive impact on society that extends beyond the advanced technology, products and services it creates. It has invested in community projects supporting young people and education in 30 countries, benefiting more than 1 million young people. The company has an active employee volunteering program which last year saw its employees give more than 32,100 hours to local community projects. Nokia is also supporting innovative technology projects designed to bridge the digital divide and bring the benefits of mobile technology to communities around the world. More information is available at www.nokia.com/communityinvolvement

About the International Youth Foundation

The International Youth Foundation is a global non-profit organization uniquely dedicated to preparing young people to be healthy, productive, and engaged citizens. Founded in 1990, IYF’s worldwide network of partner organizations has grown to 70 countries, helping young people to shape their futures through proven programs that tie education to work, improve employability, and enable and inspire them to play a positive role in their communities. IYF collaborates with businesses, governments and civil society organizations to build effective, sustainable, and scalable programs that positively impact the lives of young people worldwide. To learn more about IYF, please visit: www.iyfnet.org .

Questions from media:

NROS:           

Michaela Neumannová

tel.:                +420 227 217 218       

mob.:             +420 602 614 122       

e-mail: michaela.neumannova@nros.cz