High School Students Explore Social Entrepreneurship with Vestfjarðastofa
On March 3rd, a group of high school students from Menntaskólinn á Ísafirði, the local college in Ísafjörður, visited Vestfjarðastofa to learn about social entrepreneurship. The students, who are taking a mandatory course on ideas and innovation, received a presentation from project managers Steinunn Ása Sigurðardóttir and Anna Sigríður Ólafsdóttir.
Vestfjarðastofa is a regional development agency working to support communities across the Westfjords of Iceland. One of its initiatives is participating in MERSE. This visit was part of the effort to raise awareness among young people about how they can use innovation to make a positive impact on their communities.
Nearly 40 students attended the session in two groups, accompanied by their teacher, Ólöf Dómhildur Jóhannsdóttir. After a short introduction, the students brainstormed ideas for social innovation projects in four key areas: environment and nature, opportunities for young people in the Westfjords, local communities, and accessibility for disadvantaged groups.
A defining feature of social innovation is identifying and addressing gaps in services that governments and municipalities may not be able to fill. Naturally, many student ideas focused on improving services for young people, such as youth centers and more recreational opportunities. Others tackled infrastructure challenges, calling for better roads, improved public transportation, and fuel stations in smaller villages.
The students are now working on developing their own innovation projects, which they will present at the annual Vörumessa MÍ (MÍ Product Fair) in early April. This event, held at Vestfjarðastofa’s premises, is open to the public and will showcase the students' creative solutions for improving life in the Westfjords. It will be exciting to see what ideas they bring to the table!
