EVS Potential 2.0
Start date: Aug 1, 2016,
End date: Nov 30, 2017
PROJECT
FINISHED
EVS Potential 2.0 is a long-term EVS project which starts on October 1, 2016 and finishes on August 31, 2017, and will host 2 volunteers coming from Belarus and Turkey. The project will take place in Zagreb, most of the activities being held in our office and around the city, as well as other Croatian cities for relevant activities.This project was created as a result of previous experience of Life Potential in Erasmus+ projects and needs/expectations of chosen volunteers. Having experience with youth sector we noticed that 40% of youth are unemployed or having low income as a result of lack of competences needed for a modern labor market and not being aware of working and learning opportunities in their countries and abroad. This is also true for our volunteers who want to enhance their employability through taking this service.Thus, the objectives set for the project include transferring theoretical knowledge into practice, development of creativity and proactive approach, enhancing cultural awareness and intercultural understanding, enhancing digital literacy and competences, raising awareness of available working and learning opportunities, as well as encouraging later application of gained competences in local community upon their return home.We have already chosen 2 volunteers who will join our international team in October 2016: a 22-year old Turkish volunteer who is currently finishing his studies in Political Sciences and wants to increase his digital competences for future application in the work of NGO which works on social projects, and a 25-year old Belarusian volunteer who is interested in youth sector and is willing to learn more about project/event management, as well as Erasmus+ opportunities. They both stand fewer opportunities – social obstacles, and this fact will contribute to promotion of diversity, equality and tolerance.The volunteers will be involved in such activities of ‘Life Potential’ as creating online visibility of local NGOs with the help of digital marketing tools, planning and coordination of monthly events on various topics of personal development, networking with other Croatian NGOs, development of personal projects, promotion of EVS and Erasmus+ program through events, blogging, video creation, as well as preparation and sending Croatian participants for Erasmus+ projects abroad. Their learning will be supported by learning-by-doing and peer learning methods, and will have participative nature: volunteers will be encouraged to contribute to planning, preparation and implementation phases, as well as play an active role in decision-making resulting in personal and professional growth and being empowered rather than ‘included in ready-made projects’.We expect impact of the project on individual and organizational levels: we believe that 11-month experience in Life Potential will contribute to volunteers’ employability on European market by improving their digital and project management competences, will enhance their sense of initiative and cultural awareness, as well as empower to bring qualitative changes to a local community upon their return back home. Among activities designed to disseminate project results are: creation of blog and videos to promote EVS, non-formal event or project organized by volunteers with the support of their sending organizations after the project, ‘EVS Potential 2.0’ booklet and informal good-bye party. Let alone ‘immediate’ dissemination and visibility activities such as online reporting of monthly organized events and personal projects.We believe that long-term this EVS project will contribute to volunteers finding a dream job and applying gained competences, as well as bringing changes to their communities in the form of social projects and peer empowerment. We also expect to establish long-term cooperation with our partners and spread it far beyond EVS projects.