Youth Empowerment Program
Empowering Uyghur and Turkic youth to create impactful and sustainable community projects
After a successful pilot of the Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) in Turkey and Kazakhstan, we are now ready to implement the program on a larger scale! Please read through for more details, and check out the link below for interviews with our first cohort.
What is YEP?
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The Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) is designed to create a supportive platform for youth to address community challenges through sustainable projects. We offer initial workshops and ideation events in Turkiye and Central Asia, guiding young participants to identify issues, form project teams ("Hubs"), and develop thorough project plans with set goals, timelines, and budgets. During the Transnational Summit, these Hubs pitch their projects to a panel, and successful teams receive funding for projects lasting two to six months and an opportunity to share their experiences at the next Summit. Our goal is to annually support new hubs, helping youth acquire crucial skills in leadership, problem-solving, budget optimization, community organizing, and impact measurement as they drive lasting change in their communities.
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While our focus is on Turkiye and Central Asia, we invite youth from around the world to join the YEP Portal and follow along each phase in your own time! Although you may not be eligible to apply for a grant, you can take full advantage of the materials we provide, offer your experiences or advice to other Hubs, or form collaborations through this program.
What does the process look like?
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Phase 1 - Hub Building: Create your YEP Hubs, build your capacity, and prepare your project proposals.
Phase 2 - Transnational Summit: Attend the Transnational Summit and present your proposal to a panel of judges.
Phase 3 - Implementation: Grant awardees carry out their projects of two to six months while reporting on costs and milestones.
Phase 4 - Presentation: Grant awardees will have an opportunity to present their work in the next Transnational Summit.
Phase 1: Hub Building
Youth will establish local and regional Hubs to brainstorm and develop community-oriented projects. TTN’s Regional Manager will support these Hubs, acting as their main contact and offering resources and assistance through local workshops and events. These will cover guidance on how to identify issues, what to tackle, how to create good project plans based on budget, capability, capacity of team members, long-term sustainability, team member roles, and so on. The YEP Portal will serve as a crucial resource for Hubs, providing access to capacity-building tools, support directories, and a network of YEP alumni.
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To maximize youth support, TTN will collaborate with Hubs and partners to raise funds. This will help cover travel expenses for Hub members attending the Summit and bolster our grant pool to support additional projects. If the Summit isn’t held locally, the number of representatives from each Hub attending may be restricted due to funding constraints.
Phase 2: Transnational Summit
Hubs with approved Summit applications will pitch their proposals during an Ideathon to a panel of judges at the annual Transnational Summit, competing for project grants against other Hubs. The three-day Summit will also feature workshops, discussions, cultural activities, and team-building games. Ideathon winners will be announced at the conclusion of the event.
Phase 3: Implementation
Grant recipients must execute their projects as outlined in their proposals, maintaining financial records and achieving milestones.
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Hubs that didn't receive grants may still participate in YEP, accessing the YEP Portal and other resources to secure funding for their projects if necessary. They will continue to receive support, networking opportunities, and invitations to events. TTN highly encourages these Hubs to engage in fundraising activities to fund their projects.
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Meanwhile, as the next YEP cycle will commence, we will begin preparations for the next Transnational Summit. The Ideathon winners of the last Summit will present their project outcomes to the new cohort at this Summit and receive guidance on sustaining their initiatives beyond YEP funding in the future. They will also remain part of the YEP family as alums.
Phase 4: Presentation
Meanwhile, as the next YEP cycle will commence, we will begin preparations for the next Transnational Summit. The Ideathon winners of the last Summit will present their project outcomes to the new cohort at this Summit and receive guidance on sustaining their initiatives beyond YEP funding in the future.
The YEP Portal
Once your Hub application is approved, you'll join the YEP Portal to access resources and guidance on project planning, management, proposal writing, budgeting, and more. The portal also features directories to connect you with the broader TTN network, including experts, volunteers, and YEP alumni. You can also collaborate with other Hub members on the portal and share events, success stories, tips, and more. All YEP forms and documents will be conveniently available on this platform.
How Can I Get Involved?
Become Program Director: We are seeking an exceptional candidate to oversee program implementation and provide supervision to Regional Managers.
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Become a Regional Manager: We're looking for managers in each region to lead YEP in their communities! This is a paid role.
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Become a Tarim Ambassador: If you want to contribute to the project but have limited time for managerial duties, you can volunteer as a Tarim Ambassador. Ambassadors assist with regional activities, event organisation, and spreading awareness.
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Become a Sponsor: Tarim Network welcomes partnerships with local organisations and businesses interested in providing funding, spaces, or resources for regional hubs. Reach out to our Regional Manager or Program Director to explore opportunities.
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Register your Hub: If you're a youth or group of youth with an exciting project idea to empower your community, reach out to a Regional Manager! This program is designed for you. If you're still undecided, feel free to attend an interest event or workshop to learn more. [Follow us on social media to stay up-to-date with future events and deadlines.]
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