Founded by two IB students at Institut Florimont in March 2022, UpCycle, in collaboration with ECOLINT volunteers, AGEP* schools, TCS Geneva and refugee centres La Seymaz, Présinge and Nations, are working together to create a strong foundation for a non-profit venture supporting community integration and upcycling of bicycles with refugees in Geneva.
By recycling, washing, repairing and refurbishing used bicycles together (students, community members, and refugees), UpCycle is able to provide bikes directly to individuals while building tangible skillsets, and reducing waste. As a productive service opportunity for students, this social entrepreneurship hopes to bring together people of many different backgrounds, working as a team to achieve common, sustainable goals: community integration, waste reduction and job creation.
*Association Genevoise des Ecoles Privées
Now, UpCycle is looking for support to transition from simple bike project to long-term social entrepreneurship, with the creation of a community-run bicycle and upcycle workshop which would create jobs for refugees and engage students through community service.
Bikes allow users to explore the city and neighbourhood they live in, and guarantee freedom of mobility, making them feel more in control with what they want to do and where they want to go. Refugees often don’t get to experience these privileges, and it is time this changes: mobility is for all!
Join us to help build our sustainable, cohesive, and welcoming Geneva community!
What sets UpCycle apart?
Community integration
- Bicycle repair services
- Work experience
- Engaging refugees and volunteers
- Skills training and up-cycling skills
- Promise of mobility and energy efficiency; environmentally friendly
- Partnering with schools: inter-community collaboration
- Cultural, social and linguistic immersion
Student engagement
- Community work
- Hands-on, experience-based entrepreneurial training
- Skills for future career
- Cashflow and inventory management
- Project management
- Event organization
- Website management and marketing (local publications and social media)
- Presentations to decision makers – partnering with the city and/or other organisations