OLIve YOUTH
Open Learning Initiative - University of Vienna

OLIve Youth is a new bespoke program for participants aged 16-18 who have refugee or asylum status. The program is free and offers a special series of courses for 16-18 year old participants interested in activities aimed at future access to higher education, local integration through education and setting standards for building their own futures. The program aims to prepare young OLIve participants for the Austrian academic system by, for example, teaching communication and leadership skills to young people. The participants are given the opportunity to develop academically.
The seminar series offers lectures by academics, researchers, university professors and experts from various fields. It offers participants the opportunity to participate in current discussions and practical activities, to reflect and to exchange ideas. In this way, we believe that the participants are better equipped to achieve academic and professional goals for now and in the future that are achievable in their host country. For this purpose, the participants receive lectures on, for example, the legal environment in Austria and the European Union, youth rights, including youth rights with a refugee and asylum background, public speaking, job interviews, CV clinics and many other interesting areas.
The seminars and activities are offered as part of the main program of the OLIve program, the started on September 1, 2020. Olive Youth participants can also take part in the tailor-made seminars, in particular academic language courses, in the OLIve core program in German and English as well as in academic lectures and in laboratories such as advocacy and photography.

Voices

Olive is an inclusive environment for foreign students and newcomers to the host country, in my case Austria. It is highly needed empowering space for youth and women, especially in times of rising far-right, racist politics in society. Therefore, I would highly encourage all stakeholders to continue their support for this initiative. We need more Olives, not less.

Read more

Nachdem ich in meinem Land verfolgt wurde, hatte ich ein Vertrauensproblem, als ich mit Menschen befreundet war. Aber nachdem ich dieses warme Verhalten in dir gesehen hatte, begannen sich die Dinge in meinem Leben wieder positiv zu verändern.

Read more

Black, white or yellow skinned... It doesn't matter... This world is enough for all of us... As long as we listen to each other. I congratulate Professor Sarikakis for creating such a free environment!

Read more

During that time, I was living for months in a refugee camp with lots of people per room and I had almost lost hope that I can be in an academic environment again soon. Olive gave me that hope in a time when I needed the most. I will always be loyal to this program and look forward to being an organizer in it one day.

Read more

Der Inhalt der Seminare war sehr reichhaltig. Wichtige Themen nicht nur über Österreich, sondern auch aus aller Welt wurden angesprochen. Mir ist aufgefallen, dass all diese Programme gemeinsam haben. Sie schätzen Menschen und gewinnen Selbstvertrauen.

Read more

Through my experience twice in OLIve, I can say that I benefited a lot and was able to make friends and improve my English because the program is varied and includes qualified teachers.

Read more

Our Sponsors

© Vienna, 2021 olive.univie.ac.at   Website built by MT