School of Environmental Entrepreneurship: How to Raise Effective Business
© Фото: www.shepr.ru
November, 20 #21#

School of Environmental Entrepreneurship: How to Raise Effective Business

School of Environmental Entrepreneurship (SEE) is a joint project of En+ and the YCF "Renaissance of the Siberian Land".

The problem of single-industry towns is one of the most acute problems in modern Russia. Despite the progress and continuing development, the quality of life in many of these towns depends on the prosperity of the city-forming enterprises. To remedy this situation in 2012 in the city of Baikalsk was founded the School of Environmental Entrepreneurship.

The main goal of the project was to create a system of development of single-industry towns by supporting and growing of small business and entrepreneurship.

On the one hand, the school aims to become a real source for creative environmental business ideas and business projects, and on the other hand to become an educational platform for young special economic zone (SEZ) staff of tourist-recreational type in the southern Baikal. As a basis for the Environmental Entrepreneurship School was used technology of the School for Social Entrepreneurs, which was developed and successfully applied in Novosibirsk. 

According to organizers, the basic principles of SEE are the idea, team, resources, tight schedule and work with a view to achieving results.

Following these principles, the future business people learn business skills, show their personal qualities, develop, and learn to be leaders and implement their projects successfully. Young entrepreneurs learn to think and act environmentally friendly. In addition, such projects of En+Group and the Fund solve the key problem of modern Russian economy – contribute to the development of small business and the preservation of nature.

Young people come from all over Russia to study at SEE: 

high-school students and students of universities and colleges, and even those who have already opened their own business or just going to do it. Classes are taught by leading experts in the field of entrepreneurship, ecology, marketing, business trainers and low budget promotion projects consultants, experienced psychologists, and experts in the field of energy efficiency, urban agriculture, construction and personnel management.

The school conducts two full-time sessions per year.

Within 3-4 days of hard, round-the-clock work, the project participants under the guidance of experienced mentors arrange global brainstorming on business development – from business ideas to their implementation. Also there are a number of special trainings and master-classes that provide an opportunity to work out practical skills of project management. In addition, learning in school can broaden business and professional contacts and to get advice from the experts. 

Фото

Annually, SEE arranges large-scale fairs where there are all the products of graduates of the project. They can meet there those who are liable to support business initiatives in Baikalsk, Slyudyanka district, Irkutsk region, on Russian and international level. Almost all business ideas are based on local products and resources. Young school entrepreneurs produce camelina oil, cultivate oyster mushrooms, and bake the cupcakes based on the Viennese strudel recipe, using Siberian products for their production: honey, pine nuts.

In the framework of the project of Spirogyra algae control, one of the most serious environmental problems of the Baikal, there was announced the competition “No Spirogyra on Baikal!”. Young entrepreneurs offered a lot of ideas how to make the fight against dangerous algae effective and, more importantly, beneficial to the locals. Among the most promising projects is a processing of algae for animal feed, production of special design paper for gifts or biofuel production.
Фотография

There are 377 people entered the school, 132 business ideas were worked out, 18 projects of an ecological orientation were launched, and successfully implemented. 10 ongoing businesses have obtained new development after school training. 

Annually, SEE arranges large-scale fairs where there are all the products of graduates of the project. They can meet there those who are liable to support business initiatives in Baikalsk, Slyudyanka district, Irkutsk region, on Russian and international level. Almost all business ideas are based on local products and resources. Young school entrepreneurs produce camelina oil, cultivate oyster mushrooms, and bake the cupcakes based on the Viennese strudel recipe, using Siberian products for their production: honey, pine nuts.

In the framework of the project of Spirogyra algae control, one of the most serious environmental problems of the Baikal, there was announced the competition “No Spirogyra on Baikal!”. Young entrepreneurs offered a lot of ideas how to make the fight against dangerous algae effective and, more importantly, beneficial to the locals. Among the most promising projects is a processing of algae for animal feed, production of special design paper for gifts or biofuel production.

So, thanks to the classes in SEE a honey-maker has decided that products need special packaging and have launched a pottery line. A businessman, who organized the production of camelina oil, is already supplying products to major regional trading networks and has received several foreign orders.

Company En+ group reports that full-time sessions were attended by 407 people in the age from 14 till 60 years (85% are young people) from Baikalsk, Irkutsk, Angarsk, Bratsk, Kultuk, Slyudyanka, Utulik, Sayansk (Irkutsk oblast), Sorsk (Khakassia), Zhireken and Krasnokamensk (Zabaykalsky Krai), as well as Tomsk, Novosibirsk region, Republic of Buryatia, the Altai and Krasnoyarsk territories. At the end of 2013 School of Environmental Entrepreneurship was awarded as the best social project of Russia in the category "Education and Science".

There are 377 people entered the school, 132 business ideas were worked out, 18 projects of an ecological orientation were launched, and successfully implemented. 10 ongoing businesses have obtained new development after school training. 
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