We are delighted to share with you that YES Network Pakistan has integrated the concept of youth social entrepreneurship and service learning into the curriculum of 155 Vocational Training Institutes of Punjab Vocational Training Council (PVTC). PVTC is an autonomous corporate body established by the Punjab Government through the PVTC Act of 1998. Its mission is to alleviate poverty through Muslim charity (Zakat) and private sector participation by imparting demand driven skill training and enhancing employability for disadvantaged youth. YES Network Pakistan carried out a series of activities to incorporate the concept of social entrepreneurship and service learning in the curriculum of PVTC.

The duration of social entrepreneurship and service learning course is fifty hours. This includes 10 hours of actual class work to assist participants to get familiarized with the concept of youth social entrepreneurship and the process of development of a social enterprise plan and 40 hours of field work to carry out a service learning project to solve local community problems as part of education. The mark allocation of the course is based on the attendance (10%), unscheduled quizzes (10%), field work (50%) and presentation of field work by the participants (30%). Several thousand students of the PVTC are now being engaged in designing and implementing innovative community-based service learning projects to make a difference in the lives of other.

We would like to express our special thanks to Chairman PVTC, Mr. Faisal Ijaz Khan for his extraordinary leadership, judgment and initiative. A short time ago, we sat together to develop a road map to incorporate social entrepreneurship and service learning in the curriculum of PVTC and we were thinking “we will make this happen” and now today it has happened.

We would like to acknowledge the contributions of British Council for enabling YES to introduce the concept of social entrepreneurship in all technical institutions of Pakistan. I must express my heartfelt thanks to Mr. Salman, Regional Skills and Business Manager and Mr. Hasan Siddique, Projects Manager for their unstinting support to YES Network Pakistan to accomplish this milestone. We are very excited and hope you are too on this unprecedented success.

I would also like to express my thanks to Fazal Noor, Country Representative, Ashoka and Susan Stroud, CEO, Innovations in Civic Participation for their encouragement, guidance and technical assistance.

There are loads of exciting things happening and we hope to share with you more delightful achievements and developments soon.

Please click to view the steps taken to integrate Youth Social Entrepenureship & Service Learning.

With best wishes,

Ali Raza Khan
CEO YES Network Pakistan/Ashoka Fellow

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YES Network Pakistan has integrated the concept of Youth Social Entrepreneurship into the curriculum of University of Agriculture Faisalabad.

We are delighted to share with you that YES Network Pakistan has integrated the concept of youth social entrepreneurship into the curriculum of University of Agriculture Faisalabad.

YES Network Pakistan carried out a series of activities to introduce and sensitize faculty members and students of University of Agriculture Faisalabad about the concept of youth social entrepreneurship and its need in the perspective of growing youth unemployment and unrest in Pakistan.

These efforts culminated in a formal memorandum of understanding (MOU) between YES and University of Agriculture Faisalabad. The course has been included in the curriculum of two disciplines (Population Sciences and Rural Sociology). We have received a letter of appreciation from the Chairman’s office which is enclosed herewith for your kind review. It is also noteworthy to mention here that the course is also included in the postgraduate prospectus 2011-12 (see attachment). We are very thrilled on this remarkable and historical achievement.

We must acknowledge the role played by the worthy Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Iqrar Ahmed Khan and Dr. Ashfaq Ahmad Maan Professor & Chairman Rural Sociology Department University of Agriculture Faisalabad in providing us unflinching support to bring this change.

We look forward to work with more dedication and enthusiasm to make youth social entrepreneurship a top priority in Pakistan.

For more details please click

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Service Learning Project Launched in Catholic Schools

YES Network Pakistan has launched Service Learning program for the first time in the educational institutions of Pakistan. YES Network Pakistan has been conducting sensitization sessions with the principals of the leading schools for the integration of the Service Learning concept. Recently, the Catholic Board of Lahore has approved the implementation of Service Learning program. YES Network Pakistan has trained and engaged over 350 teachers in the designing and implementation of Service Learning projects.