05 Dic. 2009
Universidad Europea de Madrid presents the Young Entrepreneurs Awards for Social Crontribution
For the second consecutive year, Universidad Europea de Madrid has been proud to present the Young Entrepreneurs Awards for Social Contribution at the CaixaForum building in Madrid. These awards are presented to recognize the initiative of those young people in Spain (between the ages of 18 and 29) who have successfully set up a social or environmental project lasting at least six months and that has resulted in positive change for the community or sector in which it was developed.
The Special Jury Prize was awarded to Simón Menéndez, who will now go on to represent Spain on an international level at the International Youth Foundation Awards with his Hechos project. From among the activities that most stand out in this initiative, and in which Simón has invested the most time, are those that involve finding accommodation for unaccompanied immigrant children (mostly from the sub-Saharan region) who are under the guardianship of the Spanish authorities. Hechos has set up a network of homes for those children in need of a more stable family environment along with supervised housing for youngsters in need of less attention and even, when necessary, apartments for adults who find they are still in the process of integrating themselves into the Spanish educational system and/or the Spanish labor market. Factors such as the project’s social transcendence, its fresh approach and its positive impact were among the main reasons for the selection of Simón Menéndez as this year’s winner.
This initiative forms part of the ten best solidarity projects of the year, as selected from the more than 80 projects presented for the 2009 Edition of the Awards. All of the award winners will receive an endowment of €3,000, and an intensive course at the university tailored to cover the specific needs of each one of their award winning projects. The education and training of these young professionals, like the essence of the university itself, is one of defining characteristics that makes the Young Entrepreneurs Awards for Social Contribution an outstanding event.
The incorporation into the labor market of people at risk of being marginalized, the support of artistic projects for the mentally-challenged, the fostering of fun, recreational activities for young people with cerebral palsy, education on the environment and the social integration of immigrants are just some of the activities covered by these initiatives.
Miguel Carmelo, President of Universidad Europea de Madrid and a member of the jury had this to say at the awards ceremony; “Initiatives like the Young Entrepreneurs Awards for Social Contribution help us discover young people, like those here today, young men and women who are capable of leading projects that help others and who have made it possible for our world to be a little better today than it was yesterday for everyone.”
The President of the University was accompanied by some of the business professionals responsible for the assessment and selection of the winning projects: Francisco Serrano, Managing Director, Fundación Telefónica; Rafael Spottorno, Managing Director of the Fundación Caja Madrid; journalists Nieves Herrero and Hernán Zin; and Camila Forero, winner of the 2008 Special Jury Prize.
The 3rd Edition of the Young Entrepreneurs Awards for Social Contribution will take place in 2010, building on the successes already achieved during the first two editions.