TakingITGlobal

2 3 When the seeds of ideas are given a supportive environment to grow and flourish, they have the power to transform communities and improve the world. The Youth for Change Program invests in creating opportunities for young people throughout the Arab world to develop community-based projects leveraging the power of information and communication technologies. A range of supports are provided including seed funding, mentorship, training and capacity-building, recognition and access to networks. The program was founded in 2008 by Bibliotheca Alexandrina together with TakingITGlobal. In 2016, phase 4 of the program was implemented with the theme "Information and Communication Technologies (ICT): Supporting Leaders of the Future." In this phase, 26 youth from Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, and Saudi Arabia were awarded mini grants between $1000 - $3000 USD to pilot projects related to ICT. Through the Sprout Ideas project management e-course, online chats with entrepreneurs, and opportunities to discuss their projects in open forum settings, the 26 winners have emerged from the Program with projects that were initially simple ideas. Winners were also together in Alexandria, Egypt for a capacity-building session in the Spring of 2016 and for a Closing Ceremony in December of 2016. The purpose of this publication is to spotlight the winners and their projects while providing a glimpse at how they have used the Youth for Change program as a mechanism towards their success. We hope you enjoy reading about what they have achieved along with their reflections, insights and advice for other aspiring social entrepreneurs. in t roduc t ion , . , , . , . , . , , . , , . , . . . . , . , . . . . , . , . . , . . , . . , . , . , . - , . , , . . , . , . . . , , . , . . . . , , . . , . , . . . , , . . : . . . 2008 TakingITGlobal . 2016 " : . " 26 $ 0 0 0 3 - $ 0 0 0 1 . 26 : . . . 2008 TakingITGlobal . 2016 " : . " 26 $ 0 0 0 3 - $ 0 0 0 1 . 26 26 . 2016 2016 . . .

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