Areté Youth Foundation - https://www.unicreditfoundation.org/en/education-support/grassroots-initiatives/arete-youth-foundation

Areté Youth Foundation is a nonprofit organisation operating in Bulgaria and across the Balkans to support high-potential Roma youth in overcoming socio-economic barriers and achieving their educational and professional goals.

The organisation promotes a community-based vision centred on active citizenship, positive role models, and mutual support, with the aim of fostering the academic, professional, and personal success of Roma youth.

Areté is supported by the Trust for Social Achievement (TSA), an organisation committed to breaking the cycle of poverty in Bulgaria by improving access to education and economic opportunities. Within this framework, higher education represents a strategic lever to increase inclusion, civic participation, and representation of underrepresented groups, particularly women and minorities.

Main initiatives include:

educational and career guidance programs aimed at access to higher education
an educational hub to facilitate access to scholarships and inclusive universities
post-graduation professional development pathways, with a focus on networking, skills, and employability
collaboration with the private sector to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Areté Youth Foundation is a nonprofit organisation operating in Bulgaria and across the Balkans to support high-potential Roma youth in overcoming socio-economic barriers and achieving their educational and professional goals.

The organisation promotes a community-based vision centred on active citizenship, positive role models, and mutual support, with the aim of fostering the academic, professional, and personal success of Roma youth.

Areté is supported by the Trust for Social Achievement (TSA), an organisation committed to breaking the cycle of poverty in Bulgaria by improving access to education and economic opportunities. Within this framework, higher education represents a strategic lever to increase inclusion, civic participation, and representation of underrepresented groups, particularly women and minorities.

Main initiatives include:

educational and career guidance programs aimed at access to higher education
an educational hub to facilitate access to scholarships and inclusive universities
post-graduation professional development pathways, with a focus on networking, skills, and employability
collaboration with the private sector to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

UniYouth - Phase 1

The program supported by UniCredit Foundation in 2022: objectives and results

The UniYouth programme, selected by UniCredit Foundation under the Call for Education 2022, aimed to reduce social and economic inequalities in Bulgaria by supporting Roma youth from vulnerable backgrounds in accessing quality education and employment opportunities.

The primary target group consisted of students aged 14 to 19, who face significant barriers to education and employment. The programme provided integrated support to strengthen skills, motivation, and future prospects.

Implemented in secondary schools – particularly vocational schools in sectors such as light industry, ecology, chemical technologies, and tourism – UniYouth adopted a multidimensional, community-centred approach, engaging schools, families, and local stakeholders.

Results (2025):

227 students involved, with a 98% retention rate
90 graduates and 25 enrolled in university
over 290 young people engaged in mentoring activities
86 job placements.

Key strengths included effective mentoring, an integrated approach, strong local partnerships, and initiatives such as GRACE (Girls, Roma Ambassadors for Corporate Empowerment) for women’s empowerment. However, significant challenges remain, including poverty, discrimination, early marriages, and inconsistent engagement from some partner schools.

UniYouth - Phase 1

The program supported by UniCredit Foundation in 2022: objectives and results

The UniYouth programme, selected by UniCredit Foundation under the Call for Education 2022, aimed to reduce social and economic inequalities in Bulgaria by supporting Roma youth from vulnerable backgrounds in accessing quality education and employment opportunities.

The primary target group consisted of students aged 14 to 19, who face significant barriers to education and employment. The programme provided integrated support to strengthen skills, motivation, and future prospects.

Implemented in secondary schools – particularly vocational schools in sectors such as light industry, ecology, chemical technologies, and tourism – UniYouth adopted a multidimensional, community-centred approach, engaging schools, families, and local stakeholders.

Results (2025):

227 students involved, with a 98% retention rate
90 graduates and 25 enrolled in university
over 290 young people engaged in mentoring activities
86 job placements.

Key strengths included effective mentoring, an integrated approach, strong local partnerships, and initiatives such as GRACE (Girls, Roma Ambassadors for Corporate Empowerment) for women’s empowerment. However, significant challenges remain, including poverty, discrimination, early marriages, and inconsistent engagement from some partner schools.

The 2nd Phase of UniYouth and the Trust-based invitation initiative

In 2026, within the Trust-based invitation initiative – which aims to ensure continuity of interventions addressing educational poverty and to strengthen long-term, trust-based partnerships, enhancing partner organisations’ capacity to generate sustainable impact – UniCredit Foundation renewed its support for Areté Youth Foundation.

The new programme, UniYouth - Phase 2: Promoting (E)QUALITY in Education, is a three-year initiative aimed at reducing educational and economic inequalities between Roma students and their peers.

By addressing key challenges – such as school dropout, limited access to university, lack of role models, and restricted opportunities for skills development – the program pursues three strategic objectives:

improve retention in education pathways, learning outcomes, and social and digital skills
expand access to and promote success in higher education
strengthen employability through skills development and greater exposure to the world of work.

UniYouth - Phase 2 expands and consolidates the results of the first phase through:

engagement of 600 Roma students (over 1,700 participations in activities)
expansion to 6–8 schools in disadvantaged contexts nationwide
introduction of new tools such as Digital Skills Labs, motivational camps, and the GRACE initiative to foster direct engagement with companies
strengthening partnerships with schools, local institutions, NGOs, and employers.

The programme also includes an early-stage pilot to support 40 students in the transition from primary to secondary school, focusing on motivation, basic skills, and guidance.

Through this integrated approach, UniYouth -Phase 2 contributes to improving educational outcomes, expanding access to higher education and employment, and promoting long-term social and economic inclusion for Roma youth in Bulgaria.