Young System Thinkers

“If you want to know what the future will look like - you have to look at the youth."

Register for the upcoming AlterContacts Young System Thinkers Summit!
It will take place remotely on April 30, 2026:
https://forms.gle/RzNWSzu4oRaim6cM6

AlterContacts Young System Thinkers is a collaborative program for young graduates of vocational and tertiary education. It is aimed to amplify chances of success in the world of work. Using innovative methods of facilitation of personal introspection and participatory group dialogue, it helps students to analyze their personal, professional, and business strategy. It equips them with a new systemic approach to goal setting, problem-solving, ideation, solution design, project planning, and personal or business development.

Impact on Sustainable Development Goals

Registered as SDG Acceleration Action (#SDGAction38582) in the United Nations.

European Youth Event in Strasbourg 2023

Every year the EYE (European Youth Event) brings together at the European Parliament in Strasbourg and online thousands of young people from all over the European Union and the world, to share and shape their ideas on Europe’s future. The submission of the AlterContacts Young System Thinkers was chosen among 200+ applications. Our proposal was to host an interactive workshop on "Solving EU Housing Crisis: Let’s Create Rural Alternatives for Youth."

In October 2022, the Commission and the High Representative adopted the Youth Action Plan in the European Union external action for 2022-2027, the first-ever policy framework for a strategic partnership with young people around the world to build a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable future. It will help deliver on international commitments, such as the United Nation's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate Agreement, by enhancing meaningful youth participation and empowerment in the EU's external action policies.

Preparing the European youth to build and lead a more equal, diverse, and sustainable future of Europe.

The main objective is to equip students with the skills and network necessary to start a professional life, facilitate successful school-to-work transition, promote active citizenship and sustainability education. Students gain an understanding of the SDG framework and how it can be used, the key sustainable development issues in practice, by addressing the economic crisis caused by the pandemic.

The key enablers of this approach to helping universities become the agents of change in Sustainable Development are the drive from the collaborating professors; an incentive for students to get the first practical experience that would help them build their professional career; the Think Tank methodologies for remote social action developed and tested during the pandemic; the connections with a wide network of small businesses and therefore a chance for students to make a real impact right here, right now.

By equipping universities with the toolkit and guidance on the remote engagement of students into social action for SDG, it can transform universities into active agents for an inclusive and sustainable planet.

Context

Across the globe, young people are being disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in the world of work. None of the courses they had, prepared them for this crisis. Recent graduates are struggling to enter the labor market. The current situation calls for more efficient and dynamic education.

We want to give young people opportunities to develop their potential to shape the future of the world. This initiative is part of the AlterContacts Academy which tackles three key societal issues:

1) School-to-work transition;
2) Youth development and employment;
3) Social inclusion.

Our aspiration is to give young people higher chances of entering the labor market. They will provide them with a stronger foundation and the practical skills required in the modern world.

The initiative is part of the AlterContacts Academy for Sustainable Development