Our local young volunteer participating in an international volunteering project.
With the support of the “Bridge to the Future” Youth Public Union Sanan Huseynov, is participating in the long-term European Solidarity Corps (ESC) project implemented by the Jauniešu organizācija “Ligzda” organization in the city of Ružiena, Latvia. Within the framework of the project, our volunteer mainly spends time with elderly people, carrying out continuous activities to effectively organize their time. He also presents Azerbaijani national culture and cuisine during cultural days organized specifically for the elderly. It should be noted that our organization has been operating in both sending and receiving functions within the framework of the European Solidarity Corps Program since 2012. You can learn more about the European Solidarity Corps Program here: https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity_en
“InnoHub” was launched in Ganja.
The opening ceremony of “InnoHub” was held in Ganja on April 14, 2025. The ceremony was attended by representatives from the local government bodies, partners, and local youth. The project aims to develop the digital and innovative skills of the region’s youth. InnoHub provides a completely free, high-tech training and development environment for young people in Ganja. The space will serve as a center for innovation, knowledge, and technological skills for young people. Young people will be trained in the fields of web programming, graphic design and digital marketing within the time frame of 6 and 4-month programs. The trainings are carried out by professional trainers from Div Academy, a partner of the project. Participants who successfully complete the programs will be awarded a certificate. At the same time, project will seek creating real job opportunities in the region for InnoHub graduates as a result. The educational programs are based on real labor market requirements and current trends. The main goal of the project is to train the region’s youth as innovative, competitive and professional human recourses. The project is organized by the “Bridge to the Future” Youth Public Union and implemented in partnership with Div Academy.
Bridge to the Future YPU has launched an exciting initiative to introduce Ganja students to vocational education.
As part of the “Herald of modern challenges – vocational education” project, an engaging presentation was held for 7th-9th grade students foreign language school-lyceum No. 4 named after Mehdi Mehdizade in Ganja. The session highlighted the importance of vocational education, its benefits, and the professional pathways it opens. The project aims to spark students’ interest in vocational education, inform them about job opportunities in various fields, and provide parents with valuable insights to guide their children toward promising career paths. But this is just the beginning! The information sessions will continue across seven more schools in Ganja. Later, participating students will embark on an educational visit to the Ganja Vocational Education Center, where they will gain hands-on experience and practical knowledge. In the final phase, parents of the participating students will also be engaged in an awareness session to ensure they have a clear understanding of vocational education and its potential benefits for their children. The initiative is one of the winning projects of the 2024 “Organization of Voluntary Activities in Education” grant competition announced by the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Bridge to the Future YPU gathers young creatives in Ganja to explore the world of cinematography.
With the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and organized by Bridge to the Future Youth Public Union, the “Cinematography Academy of the Youth of the Region” is bringing the magic of filmmaking to young creatives in Ganja. This exciting initiative aims to unlock the creative potential of regional youth passionate about cinematography and help them gain hands-on experience at a professional level. Over two intensive days, renowned filmmaker and trainer, Rahman Furgatoglu, has been sharing his expertise in screenwriting, directing, and acting. Participants have collaboratively developed a short film script, worked on directorial planning, and undergone essential acting exercises. Now, with skills sharpened and creativity ignited, the young talents will take the next big step—bringing their short film to life and presenting it to an audience! The project is one of the winning initiatives of the grant competition announced by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan for non-governmental organizations.
“EcoTEAM” project gathers together eco-activists in Ganja.
The “EcoTEAM” project funded by Azerbaijan Youth Foundation and organized by “Bridge to the Future” Youth Public Union, which aims to increase the ecological knowledge and skills of the region’s youth, is being successfully implemented. The project aims to create a network of young people who play an active role in solving environmental problems and, through this network, to create exemplary green areas, promote the use of environmentally friendly products, and raise awareness among young people about environmental protection. In the first phase of the project, a training course was organized for young people with interest and experience in the field of environmental protection on December 13-15, 2024. The young people participating in the training formed the core of the “EcoTEAM” team. Trainers Ulvi Mammadov and Elnur Arifzadeh held interactive discussions with young people on the topics of “Climate Change”, “COP29 and its Results”, “Sustainable Development Goals”, “World Climate Countries” and “Becoming an Ecological Ambassador”, and organized team works and simulation games. In the next stages of the project, participants will participate in a clean-up campaign in Ganja and after it they will share their knowledge with students by holding info sessions in secondary schools. The “EcoTEAM” project is one of the winning projects of the 18th grant competition held within the framework of the “Year of Solidarity for a Green World” of the Youth Foundation of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The project for rural youth in the region was completed.
The project “Integration of Rural Youth into Modern Professions” has been completed which was supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Azerbaijan and coordinated by “Bridge to the Future” Youth Public Union. The project goal is to raise awareness about modern professional and freelance job opportunities for young people living in villages and to conduct widespread awareness-raising work among young people by creating an electronic booklet in this direction. As part of the project, an electronic booklet on modern professional fields and freelance job opportunities was initially prepared. The booklet was placed on the official website of the “Bridge to the Future” NGO (www.bfngo.az) to ensure free access to this information for everyone. As the next stage of the project, training sessions were conducted for 7th-9th grade students in secondary schools located in the villages of Bozalganli in Tovuz district, Dashsalahli in Gazakh district, Uchtepe in Goygol district, Chobanabdallı in Samukh district, Bayan in Dashkesan district, and Aglavashli in Shamkir district. The training sessions were delivered on the modern professional fields, digital skills, freelance work methods, and a prepared e-book. It should be noted that the project was implemented within the framework of the grant competition announced by the Ministry of Youth and Sports for 2024 to support the activities of youth organizations in Azerbaijan.
Bridge to the Future YPU was represented at the international training course in Lithuania.
On November 22-28, 2024, representatives of the Bridge to the Future Youth Public Union – Hikmat Valiyev, Rauf Aliyev and Murad Mammadov participated in the international training course in Sirvintos, Lithuania. The primary focus of the training course is equipping youth workers, youth leaders, and volunteers with essential knowledge about human rights through ‘Compass’ manual and let this knowledge help foster stronger trust and connections with young people and empower them to advocate for their own rights. Totally 27 young people from various countries participated in the international event. It should be noted that our organization has been operating in both sending and receiving functions within the Erasmus+ Program since 2012.
A representative of “Bridge to the Future” Youth NGO participated in the international conference.
Ayshan Mikayilova, representative of the “Bridge to the Future” Youth NGO, represented the organization at the “SoliDARE” conference in Gdynia, Poland, on October 7-11, 2024. The event aims to bring together representatives from organisations active in European Solidarity Corps (ESC) Programme. The event takes a co-creation approach and is based on participatory methodologies. Within the framework of the 3-day event, Ayshan met with approximately 60 youth workers from different countries of Europe. The participants received extensive information about the European Solidarity Corps Programme, innovations in the program and priorities. Also, networking opportunities within the framework of the ESC Programme have been created for the representatives representing various European Non-Governmental Organizations. It should be noted that the event was jointly organized by the Resource Center of the European Solidarity Corps, the Polish National Agency and the Romanian National Agency.
A new project for rural youth is being launched in the region.
Bridge to the Future Youth Public Union will implement the project “Rural youth integration into modern professional fields” with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Project aims to provide awareness of modern professions and freelance job opportunities for young people living in villages and to create an electronic book in this regard to conduct a wide awareness among young people. Within the framework of the project, an e-book on modern professional fields and freelance work opportunities will be prepared. The book will be posted on the official website (www.bfngo.az) of Bridge to the Future YPU and will provide free access to this information for everyone. In continuation, information sessions about modern professional fields, digital skills, freelance work method, and also e-book will be organized in 6 high schools located in Goygol, Samukh, Dashkasan, Gazakh, Tovuz, and Shamkir regions, for a total of 120 students. It should be noted that the project is one of the winning projects of the grant competition announced by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2024.
Bridge to the Future YPU was represented at the international convention in Spain.
On September 15-21, 2024, Anakhanim Rzazade, Chairperson of the Bridge to the Future Youth Public Union, participated in the international convention “42nd YEU Convention: YEU Developing YOUth: Shaping Chameleons of Tomorrow 2024” in Mollina, Spain. The event is traditionally organized for the 42nd time this year by the international network “Youth for Exchange and Understanding (YEU)” of which the YPU is a member. It aims to create solutions, target youth workers with fewer opportunities and promote quality, adaptability through intercultural dialogue. It should be noted that more than 20 youth workers from 10 different countries participated in the international event.