Eight ideas for a more playful Sweden

» 2010-03-29 Among nearly 2000 applicants Playing for Change have selected the eight best ideas for a better society for children and young people. The eight selected social entrepreneurs will over the next one to three years receive full pay and professional support to realize their ideas. Among the ideas is a live-role play workshop, a mobile theater and a Web site focused on children with autism.

- The jury has been tearing. There has been a huge proliferation of ideas, but also very high quality. The eight we have chosen has the potential to in different ways create better conditions for children and young people in Sweden, says Sara Damber, Chief Operating Officer, Hugo Stenbecks Stiftelse.

Ida Östenssson, 25 years from Umeå, is one of the selected social entrepreneurs. Her idea is to use skateboarding as a way to explore ways to give girls access to male-dominated fields:

- It's like a dream to have this opportunity to realize my idea. I have a lot to give and I will work very hard to succeed. My vision is a society where young people's interests need not be determined by the sex you have.

All eight entrepreneurs will receive pay and support from some of the sharpest business minds in order to implement their ideas. The other seven are:
• Benjamin Andree, 39, from Gothenburg. What a Diff, creating unique experiences for children with illnesses.
• Johan Wendt, 32, from Stockholm. Provides free math help for school students through workshops and through a web site to include "celebrity maths".
• Anna Lofgren, 43, and Maggie Dillner, 52, Stockholm. Want to educate parents and educators in play for children with autism.
• Laila Lindberg, 64, Bergvik. Want to spread a methodology to support traumatized asylum-seeking children through play.
• Victor Brobacke, 36, Stockholm. Want to take over part of the public environment with a mobile meeting place for cultural encounters between adults and children, on the children's terms.
• Miriam Lundqvist, 27, Västerås. Want to build a live role-paly workshop, a center for active participation and learning through role playing.
• Patricia Rawecka, 25, Stockholm. Toy brand GRO and create a market for educational, equal and sustainable toys.

On 11 January launched Playing for Change a challenge to social entrepreneurs around Sweden: Come on an innovative idea that contributes to a better society for children and young people - with play as a basis. The response was enormous - in six weeks, nearly 2000 ideas were submitted. Now, the eight best, most sustainable and most innovative are selected.