Impact

European Creativity and Innovation Challenge aimed to put ‘innovation and creativity’ in the spotlight through a partnership between 15 partners and 23 associated partners from 13 European countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Turkey). The network proposed to organise a Creativity & Innovation Challenge for vocational school students, aged 15-18, in selected countries which encouraged them to use their skills in enterprising and innovative ways, ultimately increasing their employability and entrepreneurial flair.

The aim of the project was to stimulate 7,800 students’ innovative abilities and creative ideas putting them in contact with 390 business volunteers. This was done through 78 national challenges and 3 European Innovation & Creativity Challenges that would give students a learning experience that they would not otherwise have at their age. At the end of the implementation period almost 10,000 students took part in more than 100 National Challenges, supported by almost 1,500 volunteers.

The programme was very successful and therefore attractive for students and teachers. All targets established at the beginning of the project were met with high margins: almost 10,000 students, in more than 100 National Events, 1,500 volunteers, almost 1,000 teachers and 865 vocational schools took part in the project. More than 300 private companies and public authorities sponsored the activities at local and at European level. The well-established methodology of Creativity and Innovation Challenges is now a core activity in several JA-YE initiatives at European, National and local level.