Social Youth Development, K.A.NE., is a non-governmental and non-profit organisation active in the fields of Education, Youth, Social Inclusion, Vocational Training and Culture. K.A.NE. was founded in 2008 in Kalamata, Greece. The organisation’s main objectives are to foster youth motivation for active citizenship, and to support personal and professional development of people through educational activities, especially targeting people at risk or facing social exclusion, young people in general and adult/vet learners.
Work with the local community:
1. Youth Centre of Kalamata. The Youth Centre of Kalamata was created in 2009 and it was one of the first youth centres in Greece. The youth center had almost 5000 members, offered more than 15 long term workshops to 100 people per year and numerous activities, seminars and cultural events. It was supported by a network of 15 volunteers and 10 local civil society organisations and mainly serves young people at the ages 15 to 35. Its main achievement is the inclusion and the integration of immigrants, refugees and Roma people in the local community, as well as the combatting of the NEETs phenomenon through youth work.
2. K.A.NE. Training Centre. The newly established training centre of our organisation, offers a wide range of training, especially in the vocational training area. Additional to its 300 sqm training area, outdoor facilities and the restaurant, the training centre offers 20 fully equipped rooms with the capacity to host up to 60 learners, at the headquarters of K.A.NE., next to the sea.
3. Kalamata Street Festival. It is being organised every year since 2009 with the aim to offer opportunities to young people and artists to express themselves in a safe environment. Street arts, sports and music are the main tools to foster social inclusion and community building. It hosts more than 200 artists, more than 25 local civil society organisations, 20 parallel activities, camping and more than 7000 people audience.
4. K.A.NE. Info Centre. The info centre organises information activities with and for the local youth, about mobility opportunities, studies abroad and work offers in Greece and abroad. Additionally, it trains people in CV building, job interview and business management.
International work:
1. Vocational Training. K.A.NE. hosts VET learners since 2012 in a wide range of sectors. We own our hosting premises with the capacity to host from 50 to 80 learners at the same time.
2. Voluntary Activities. Being an accredited coordinating, hosting and sending organisations since 2008, K.A.NE. offers hosting placements for volunteers in sectors such as disability, environment, social work, youth work and culture.
3. Research and Development projects. Being partner and coordinator in more than 100 Erasmus+, KA2, Leonardo da Vinci, Grundtvig, Europe for Citizens (and other) projects, K.A.NE. holds a long experience in research as well as in developing content, training tools and new portfolios for education, both physical and electronic.
4. Training. We offer numerous courses in various subjects in the youth sector, adult education, teachers’ training and VET staff training, held by professional educators/trainers with over 10 years of experience in their expertise.
5. Youth Exchanges. We organise youth exchanges under the Erasmus+ program and the German-Greek Youth Institute. We specialize in the areas of non formal education, outdoor activities, cultural heritage and historical memory preservation.
In total K.A.NE. hosted more than 2000 international learners which makes it one of the most experienced organisations in international training and youth work.
One of the strongest assets of the organisation the development of a strong network across Europe, through which there have been designing and implementing mobility, R&D and Educational Programmes in the context of European and national programmes.
