Last week, 34 students from 9 countries participated in the Social Innovation Relay (SIR) 2023 Global Final, organised by JA Europe in partnership with NN Group. The SIR helps secondary school students think and act like social entrepreneurs. They create business solutions to address social needs, providing hands-on skills and entrepreneurial expertise.
We are thrilled to announce this year’s winning teams: Cap-it from Czech Republic, Isometricks from Greece, and Chore to Chore from the Netherlands. Congratulations to all students involved!
The innovative solutions
Cap-it, the first-place winner, developed a hair-tie with a built-in protective cover for a drink to help people to protect themselves against drink spiking in nightclubs and bars. The jury report praised Cap-it for its holistic approach, including sourcing sustainable materials and providing opportunities for those who lack access to the labour market to produce them.
Isometricks, the second-place winner, created Wizzle, a unique game that brings creativity, critical thinking, and maths together. The game acts as a valuable tool for medical and educational purposes while sparking imagination, relieving stress, and benefiting society.
Chore to Chore, the third-place winner, developed a platform that connects the elderly with teenagers willing to assist with household tasks. By easing the burden on caregivers and reducing loneliness among the elderly, Chore to Chore’s platform encourages future-proof volunteering.
An inspiring group solving real problems
Lonneke Roza, Head of Community Investment at NN Group and jury member: ‘This generation, more than ever, are committed to use their talents, skills and capabilities to work on better futures for all. I am impressed by all young people participating in the NN Social Innovation Relay using their bright minds and fresh ideas to come up with innovative solutions for social problems.’
Arosha Brouwer, CEO and founder of Quan Wellbeing and jury member: ‘The smarts, capability and energy of these students truly inspired me. I did not see a group of young people – I saw a group of founders looking to harness their genius to solve real problems we face today. If this is the future, we are in safe hands.’
The judges
The 2023 jury was composed of Lonneke Roza, Head of Community Investment, NN Group, Arosha Brouwer, co-founder & CEO of Quan, Leonie Bultynck, European Commission, DG EAC, Digital Education, Patrick Anthonissen, Social entrepreneur & strategic consultant, founder CRZY!, Young Impact & NLVoorelkaar, and Raffaele Trapasso, OECD Head of Entrepreneurship Education and Skills Unit
Gen-E 2023
Discover these winning teams and more in the Gen-E 2023 Virtual Expo on www.gen-e.eu
JA Europe
JA Europe is the largest and leading organisation in Europe dedicated to inspire and prepare young people to succeed. For over 100 years, JA Worldwide has delivered hands-on, experiential learning in entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial health. In the last school year, the JA Europe network provided over 6.6 million learning experiences for youth in online, in person and blended formats. For two consecutive years, JA has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for its global reach, youth economic empowerment delivery at scale, and ability to find unity in diversity.
In 2022, NN and JA reached 13,962 students with the help of 232 NN volunteers and 491 teachers across 10 countries (Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Japan, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, The Netherlands and Turkey).
