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See you in Munich!

Flying HigHJuly 2011 #2

Biggest? Boldest? Best?GEC goes toBrussels!

Conference: Entrepreneurs Engineer the Future

National Coordinators Meeting 2011

OsloCoY in

Welcome to Turkey, Malta, Latvia, Austria and Czech Republic!

ExpandingJA-YE Alumni Europe is:

Flying High July 2011

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Hey y’ll,

The summer 2011 has been a truly inspiring time for the alumni network and I’m so excited by just how awesome all of the alumni really are – even after seven years it still gives me goose bumps.

Standing out is of course the 2011 NCM where a record breaking 17 countries took part, sending 45 national leaders to the event and culminating in five new alumni networks starting up. Furthermore, being based at JA-YE Europe this summer made it possible to visit both Germa-ny and Spain. Seeing national alumni networks thriving was really great.

And the summer isn’t even over yet, as we still have the alumni conference to go. Personally, this is the highlight of my year and where I get my motivation and inspiration to continue the alumni work.

So enjoy the sun and see you in Munich!

Louise EdwardsGeneral European Coordinator

>Alumni in the sunMessage from your GEC:

>Another chapterDear reader,

First of all, thank you so much for your kind words and feedback to the latest issue of Flying High, that looked quite different than the previous versions. It seems like it was to your taste -and so here’s another one.

Second, thank you for letting me be a part of this amazing network, where so many great things are happening all around Europe. It is an honour and a pleasure to be able to communicate another chapter in the history of JA-YE Alumni Europe. This issue focuses on the recent NCM in Sofia and on the upcoming conference in Munich. I can’t wait to see you

all there! Also, you get the low-down on the many new member countries that are popping up all around. And don’t forget to catch up on the latest alumni news that will get you up to speed.

Third, thank you to those of you who contributed. Special thanks to our GEC, Louise for making this issue possible.

Thank you for flying with us!

Sara Green BrodersenEditor-In-Chief

Message from your Editor-in-Chief:

Get your alumni fix on YouTube!

Did you know JA-YE Alumni Europe has it’s very own YouTube chan-nel? Here you can check videos from past events like the NCM or Conferences.

The channel will be updated frequently, so make sure to check in or subscribe.

I wanna watch the JA-YE Alumni Channel!

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Message from your GEC:02 Alumni in the sun

Biggest? Boldest? Best?

04 National Coordinators’ Meeting 2011

CoY in Oslo & GEC goes to Brussels

08 Alumni News

JA-YE Alumni Europe is expanding

10 A Tour of the New Alumni Networks

See you in Munich

12 Conference: Entrepreneurs Engineer the Future

14 Upside Down

>In this edition

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10

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12Video of day 4 from

the 2009 conferencein Copenhagen,

Denmark>

Fenna talking about her impressions of the NCM2011 in Sofia, Bulgaria. <

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What is the NCM?

The national coordinators meeting (NCM) is an annual European event organized by JA-YE Alumni Europe.

The NCM’s main goal is to gather the leaders of the national JA-YE alumni networks for: sharing experi-ence, strategic planning and goal setting.

The first NCM took place in 2006 in Paris and since then each year the event has been hosted by a differ-ent country.

In 2011 from the 20th-23rd May the NCM was hosted in Sofia, Bulgaria. Here the participants worked on the topics: project management, CSR, fundraising etc.

Facilitators and speakers including Viktoria Blajeva, Head of Identity and Communications at UniCredit Bulbank, Nikolay Todorv, Project manager at Bulgarian Red Cross and Mr. Apostol Dyankov from the social enterprise Green Knights, together they brainstormed with the participants on new projects and initiatives that will support social entrepreneurship and youth activi-ties across Europe.

In addition to social entrepreneurship, the workshops also tackled the field of sustainable leadership and volunteerism, and the countries present at the meeting shared knowledge and good/worst practices.

>National Coordinators’ Meeting 2011

Check out the National Coordinators’ Meeting Book!See pictures from the event, read what the participants thought of the event and get a feel of the alumni spirit.

CLICK HERE TO READ

“Probably the most inspirtational learning experience since the

company programme itself” - Participant

The NCM in Sofia was held with great success and we would love to share some of the spirit from the event. Here are a few alumni’s experiences and impressions from attending the NCM. Enjoy!

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>National Coordinators’ Meeting 2011

“An irreplaceable experience”

This was the first NCM for our national alumni club so everything was new for us. In the beginning of the conference there was so much information which we had to sort in our minds but later on we started understanding more and a vision for the Czech Alumni began to take shape.

The whole event was an irreplaceable experi-ence and we could not have gotten a better start up. Seeing that other countries have successfully established their alumni networks made us work hard and believe that we can do it! The best thing is that we feel such a big support from all of Europe and this is something which will lead us forward.

Viktorie Petrikova, Czech Republic

“A big and strong network”

Well, what can I say about the last NCM? The first word that comes to mind is RELATION. Relations formed

between countries, people and different experi-ences, sharing new ideas to grow together as a

unique group.

I really appreciate the professionalism of the Bulgarian team, but also the motivation of all the participants to find solutions for the future.

This experience was important to really understand how Alumni Europe works, but also how Alumni Europe can help countries in the network sharing ideas from Advanced, Developing and New countries.

Having the possibility to brainstorm with other alumni was the key to finding a new network

strategy which can be used in the future, by Italy and other developing countries too.

Alumni has become a big and strong network where all members can work together to develop their own

countries and personal skills. For me, JA-YE alumni is the way forward.

Davide Coppaloni Delfino, Italy

Continues >

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< Continued

“The European network is a fantastic forum for young entrepreneurs to meet, dis-cuss and learn from each

other”

“The event was brilliant”

The National Coordinators Meeting was my first international experience as an alumni and I had a lot of positive expecta-tions towards the meeting and was sure to get a lot a new friends.

The event was brilliant in every part and well balanced. All the activities raised the atmosphere and helped everyone to get know each other even better. I also liked the workshops and lectures because they were very educational.

From the NCM I also gained a better understanding of how JA-YE Alumni Europe works and functions and what its purpose is. Finally the meeting gave me more enthusiasm, motivation, knowledge and inspiration to make our own national alumni organization even better and more stable.

All in all the entire European network is really convincing and impressive and I’m sure it’s going to be a useful partner to all the national networks.

Hannes Jesar, Finland

“The meeting gave me more enthusiasm, motivation, knowledge and in-spiration to make our own national alumni organization even better and more stable”

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“I felt ‘Alumni-Awesome’”

After JA Alumni Business Club Bulgaria was chosen to host the NCM in 2011 we all felt very honoured and excited about this great opportunity. Every member of the club/organization got the chance to be part of the event in one way or another and this made our team spirit even stronger.

Speaking about my experience I felt “Alumni Awe-some” -not only because I got the chance to work with amazing people but also because I was learning by doing through every step of the process.

Hosting the NCM in 2011 is a huge milestone in Alumni Bulgaria’s development and we are looking forward to the next big project of JA-YE Alumni Europe.

Preslav Mitranov (Organiser), Bulgaria

“A source of great inspiration”

The NCM was an eye opening experience of what JA-YE still has to offer me, even as an alumni. Meet-ing such an enthusiastic group, who work as part of an ever growing organization, was a source of great inspiration and new found determination to eventually launch the alumni group in Malta. Besides the great friendship and the massive network the Maltese network now form part of, I gained a solid understanding of the way Alumni organizations func-tion overseas – something which reassured us that our dream is realistic on a national level too.

The European network is a fantastic forum for young entrepreneurs to meet, discuss and learn from each other. Moreover, I felt an extremely contagiously posi-tive spirit which I brought back to Malta and am now infecting other alumni with it. An NCM might just be the medicine they need!

Janet Barthet, Malta

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>Alumni News Keep up-to-date with the latest news and upcoming events in the alumni network

The Bulgarian team was a huge part of the success of this year’s NCM, their professionalism, organization skills and dedication ensured that all participants could spend the meeting focusing on what was important: alumni mat-ters.

Now it’s time to decide what country will host the next meeting, scheduled to take place in the spring of 2012 the meeting will run over 4 days and include organisation-al management training and workshops centering around developing the network.

To bring the meeting to your home country please fill out the form here and attach a motivational letter explaining why your country would be a great place for having this event.

If you have any additional collaboration questions please write to louise@alumnieurope.org

Organising this event is done in close colaboration with the European Coordinators Committee, who will have the final say over the agenda among other things.

Who will host the 2012 NCM?

Sci-preneurship organised – a new JA-YE Europe event for alumni!

In October a new event organisaed by JA-YE Europe and Intel will see 20 JA-YE alumni invited to take part in a 24hour student innovation com-petition in Brussels. The alumni will join together with 20 alumni from the Intel run International Science and Enginering Fair (Isef).

For more about this new exciting alumni fueled event stay tuned.

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Alumni at the Company of the Year Competition in Oslo

Nine JA-YE alumni volunteers will be travelling to Oslo, Norway to take part in the largest annual JA-YE Europe event; the Company of the Year (CoY) Competition. Taking place from August 4th-7th, this will be a great chance to show the value a strong alumni presence can bring to an international event of this scope.

Besides the alumni volunteers three alumni from the European Coordina-tors Committee will also join the event, forming a jury they will be selecting the 20+ participants at the event with the most ‘alumni potential’ for the Alumni Leadership Award. These selected participants will gain the title Alumni Leaders and this process will help to draw focus to the growing alumni network in Europe.

European Coordinators Committee elections coming up!

The election for the now eight person large European Coordinators Committee (ECC) is coming up in August 2011. So now is the time to ask yourself if you want to take your alumni engagement to a European level!

More information on the roles you can run for, the election procedure and of course the dates is coming up soon, so keep an eye on your inbox and on the alumni website.

General European Coordinator interning with JA-YE Europe

Louise Edwards, the current JA-YE Alumni Eu-rope General European Coordinator is spend-ing June and July in Brussels interning with non-other than JA-YE Europe;

There she is working on a multitude of different JA-YE projects and alumni matters as well as how to strengthen the collaboration between JA-YE Europe and JA-YE Alumni Europe.

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>A Tour of the New Alumni Networks

Destination: The Netherlands

80 new membersThe Dutch alumni network has made a huge leap forward in the last pe-riod. A campaign to gain some new members had a huge impact and 80 new members have already been registered. The network achieved this by supporting JA-YE Netherlands at their events and by being included in the yearly survey for JA-YE participants. By making it very easy for the former participants to get involved with the alumni organisation this campaign was very effective and better than any other campaign tried so far. We truly believe that the growth of the Dutch alumni network is sus-tainable and that through this platform at least 50 new members a year is realistic.

By Erik Zummeren

Destination: Malta

It’s an exciting timeSince the NCM the alumni in Malta have focused all their energy towards the National Finals, which were held Wednesday July 6th. Due to the commit-ment to the finals, limited work has been done with regards to organizing the new alumni network. Despite not having an officially structured organization, however, this is an exciting time for the network as we work in close collabo-ration with JA-YE Malta to organize a fantastic evening for our achievers.

By Janet Barthet

Destination: Austria

Planning and structuringOn July 1, 2011 Junior Achievement Alumni Austria had their initiation meeting in Vienna. JAAA held a successful and productive meeting. The founding team gathered to discuss the name and corporate ID as well as the structure and activi-ties for the first year. The network now has a structure with a NC, IC and several

Regional Coordinators. Besides the implementa-tion of a mentoring programme the team decid-ed on the creation of an outstanding interactive marketing award granted to one JA Company of the following business year. This will give Alumni Austria an opportunity to be involved with the JA company programme throughout the year and to provide engagement and development opportu-nities for its own members. A detailed schedule for the further development of the organisation including information materials, mem-ber acquisition, planned activities and funding was developed in the process.

By Stephan Hörandner

Founding members Florian Bauer, Erwin Kiewek, Stephan Hörandner and Talitha Leitner

the JA Alumni Austria logo incorporating the international JA logo as well as the paper plane that has been established as a brand mark of Junior Achievement in Austria. “Fly Above” is the new JA Alumni Austria slogan.

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>A Tour of the New Alumni Networks

Destination: Serbia

The network is stronger than ever beforeThe Serbian alumni group has undergone a difficult period after their initial launch in 2009, however, this changed as the recent NCM prompted a new beginning for the Serbian network. The Serbian network is now called ALUMNISER, and has a new organizational structure and ten active members. The network is now stronger than ever before, with the older alumni spreading the alumni spirit among the newer members. The network will promote quality and the entrepreneurial spirit, with the ultimate goal of making a positive change in society. The network has full support from JA Serbia. The new network’s vision is: Alumniser, the largest region-al youth movement - the place for those who want to change the world!

By Dejan Marković

Destination: Czech Republic

Spreading the wordThe alumni of Czech Republic have spent the last months focusing on spreading the word that a new alumni club has been established. The

CEO of JA Czech Republic was kind enough to give the new network time at the national Award Ceremony to present the alumni idea to the JA partners and all the winning students. This was a great opportunity as we all know how important it is to be seen!

By Viktorie Petrikova

Destination: Latvia

Experiences worth spreadingThe founders of the JA-YE Alumni club in Latvia have taken the first steps in the creation of the network which has been in our minds for a long time. The development plan emphasizing marketing activities for year 2011 as well as an alumni guide will soon be available and social media activities have already started. Currently two events that will take place in October and December are also being prepared. The first event will be The Days of Ideas and a seminar on Creativity in Life combined with an alumni meeting and the official launch of Alumni club will follow. JA-YE Latvia Alumni club- „Experiences worth spreading”

By Anna Gruzinska

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Sponsors

This year the conference will be hosted by JENZ (the German alumni organisation) and will take place from September 5th-11th 2011 in Munich, Germany.

The conference theme this year is Made in Europe - Entrepreneurs Engineer the Future and will give the par-ticipants an insight into what challenges Europe face and how entrepreneurs and leaders can turn these obstacles into opportunities.

Furthermore the conference will offer rich opportunities for networking, organisational development and lots of fun. Read more about the event, see the schedule and register on the conference site and follow the event on facebook.

Information

Participation fee: The early-bird participant fee is €150 and the registration deadline will be August 7th. If you want to take a gamble and hope that there are still avail-able spots after this date the participant fee will be €200 and the final registration deadline will be August 21st. Registration and selection: You can register directly on either the alumni site or the conference site. After the registration deadline on the 24th all relevant National Co-ordinators will be contacted and their recommendations together with the individual motivations will help to make the final decision.

Host

INVITATION

Time has finally come to officially invite you all to join the alumni event of the year: the 8th European alumni conference

^ Pictures from the 2007 conference in Sofia, Bulgaria <

MADE IN EUROPEEntrepreneurs engineer the Future

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Partner

The European Alumni Conference

Previous JA-YE Alumni Europe conferences have been held in many great European cities and evolved around a multitude of topics, though all have had a strong focus on entrepreneurship and leadership and on continuing the learning by doing path first started through the JA-YE experience.

The yearly conferences allow alumni to stay connected and further thrive on their mutual past experiences. This year’s conference builds on the tradition of these past JA-YE Alumni Europe conferences and will focus in how entrepreneurs will play a vital role in shaping Europe’s future.

^ Pictures from the 2009 Con-

ference in Copenhagen where alumni got creative, listened to interesting speakers and not least had fun! <

SAVE THE DATE!Alumni conferenceMunich, GermanySeptember 5-11 2011

^ Pictures from the 2010 Conference in Vilnius on

Employability and life skills<

> Pictures from the 2008

conference in beautiful Milan, named Nice Inside

v

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>Up sidedown

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