The Protestant Diaconie Amsterdam offers an EVS program called Amsterdam Voluntary Year that consists of two different projects. These projects are: - The Mission House, that has hosted 8 EVS volunteers. - Oudezijds 100, that has hosted 2 EVS volunteers All projects start every year on the 1st of September. The Mission House and Oudezijds 100 offer a ten month program that lasts until the 30th of June. Both projects are coordinated and hosted by the Protestant Diaconie Amsterdam. The objective of the voluntary year is to challenge young people to work during their voluntary service on their personal, social and spiritual development, as well as their development with regard to society and the world. The main theme addressed in Amsterdam is ‘combating poverty and social exclusion’. The main component of the project is the voluntary service, working for and with people on the edge of Dutch society (e.g. homeless people, (former) drug addicts, people, immigrants, mentally disabled people and children in disadvantaged neighbourhoods). Another important component of the Amsterdam Voluntary Year is the intercultural exchange that takes place when living together (or spending a lot of time together) within an international community. To support the Non Formal Learning process during their service, the volunteers are offered an extensive training & support programme. This includes a language training and training seminars, as well as a (work) supervisor at the host organisation, a contactperson and a mentor. We offer trainings for all the volunteers taking part in the voluntary year in order to better equip them for the year. For these trainings we use the 4 Dimensions of life: - Myself - Society - The other - God/ Spirituality The result of this training will be that the volunteers reflect on themselves and the relationship with others and develop capacities that they can use in their work and social life. We strive for a long-lasting impact of the Voluntary Year, first of all for the participants, but also for the participating organizations, the local community in Amsterdam, and even broader in the home countries of the participants. A language course will also be offered to all volunteers in order that they can better integrate in their projects and Dutch society by being equiped with the basics of the Dutch language. We support the learning process of the volunteers by helping them with setting learning goals and reflecting on them and their process during the year. In the end the volunteers will be equipped with a Youthpass. The project will be finished with a final evaluation.