Carnide Plus
Start date: Aug 1, 2014,
End date: Nov 30, 2015
PROJECT
FINISHED
"Carnide Plus” was a one-year long EVS project between four sending organizations, two from Spain and two from Italy and two hosting organizations in Portugal, Junta de Freguesia de Carnide and Crescer a Cores, which together hosted six volunteers from 18 to 30 years old with fewer opportunities. The organization responsible for the coordination of the project was Spin Association.
The volunteers were involved in the activities and projects developed by the hosting organisations on the frames of Art and Culture as well as Children and Elder leisure and empowerment projects.
They were also able to develop and implement their own project ideas in the fields of elder, children and community work, as well as intercultural learning and dialogue.
The methods used throughout the project were non-formal education methods focused on participatory and learner-centered approaches; also the use of participants' creativity through several expressions such as art, music, theatre and storytelling has been stimulated in both HOs on a daily basis.
Project results include the improvement of quantity and quality of HO's work for the development and well being of Carnide's hosting community, with strong positive impact on EVS participants and lives of HO’s actions beneficiaries.
In Carnide Plus, volunteers had the opportunity to experience a different culture and way of living, to master many useful tools and competences in the three main fields of work, to learn about organization of social and cultural events, to improve their skills in intercultural communication and learning of Portuguese language. Benefits from this mobility include the development of their social and professional skills and competences which contributes for increasing the chances of finding better job opportunities and/or creating their own in the future.
Importantly, this project contributed for positive change of mentalities for updated European awareness: local community is now more sensitive to European debated issues and also aware of policies regarding youth, all through peer-to-peer transmission of knowledge, in a non-formal way.
Due to cooperation among project partners, Carnide Plus has facilitated the exchange of best practices and ideas between the several EU member states, especially among public bodies and NGOs, expanding all its long term benefits, which started echoing throughout Europe.