At the heart of the Social Impact Manager (SIM) programme are the stories of the people who took part. Two recent podcasts on the SIM Project website bring these voices to life, featuring Mia Maras and Erik Franjkovic as they share their personal experiences.
We spoke to Erik Franjkovic, one of the Croatian participants in our SIM Education Programme. His journey began when his professor recommended the programme and, as Erik shares, “the moment he saw the project title, he was hooked”.
For Erik, SIM was about expanding horizons, meeting new people, and making a meaningful contribution to the community. He shares how inspired he was by the lecturers, knowledgeable educators, and many concrete examples of how social impact can be created within local communities.
Looking back, Erik highlights how the programme helped him better understand what social impact looks like in practice, and how individuals can play an active role in it. Erik articulates the importance of networking and exchange, pointing to how meeting other professionals broadened his view of what’s possible in social impact work. His reflections show the practical value of real-world case studies and interactive discussions.
We also interviewed Mia Maraš, another Croatian participant of our SIM programme. She says she decided to join the programme because she “wanted to do something different” and understand what’s really happening in the world.
She reflects on what it meant to participate in the SIM Programme and emphasises how the programme helped her broaden her perspective and deepen her understanding of social impact in practice. She highlights the value of engagement with diverse peers and the confidence she gained from collaborative, hands-on learning. Mia’s insights remind us that learning doesn’t happen in isolation but is shaped by the connections we make and the stories we share. For her, the SIM Education Programme turned out to be inspiring, eye-opening and intense, a learning journey that gave her practical knowledge she can now apply after her studies.
Her favourite takeaway?
“I know now how much I didn’t know.”
These podcasts showcase the human side of professional development. Through candid conversations, Mia and Erik give listeners a sense of how immersive training programmes like the SIM Education Programme can transform perspectives, inspire action, and build community across borders. A special thank you to Erik and Mia for sharing their experience and motivation with the SIM community.
Listen to the full podcast interviews here Podcasts – Social Impact Manager and watch the videos here: https://simproject.eu/videos/