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EVS4ALL: A real European experience
EVS4ALL: A real European experience
Start date: Jan 1, 2016,
End date: Feb 28, 2017
PROJECT
FINISHED
CONTEXT The current ‘EVS4ALL: A real European experience’ project is part of the currently running European KA2 project “European Voluntary Service for All” (EVS4ALL). The project is a cooperation of 14 partners from France, Germany, Poland, Romania, Spain and the UK. EVS4ALL aims to enhance European civil society and youth engagement by expanding the European Voluntary Service, especially to young people with fewer opportunities, based on the pan-European campaign started with the manifesto "We are Europe! Manifesto for rebuilding Europe from the bottom up" (www.manifest-europa.eu). Also, it aims to take a first step in the implementation of a ‘European Year of Volunteering for Everyone’.During this project, experienced EVS organisations and third parties (foundations and civil society organisations who are active in the sector of European and national voluntary services) from 6 European countries build long-term partnerships in order to exchange best practices and pool resources, experience and skills in the domain of mobility and social inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities. In order to enlarge current and future European voluntary program, the project finally reaches out to more stakeholders from the fields of youth policy, civil society, media, and private sector. Special focus will be put on the dissemination and exploitation of the project’s results to multiply its impact on the current Erasmus+ program and the future program generation, e.g. by organizing a final conference (multiplier event) at the end of the project.Needs addressed by this project: A) Fostering equity and inclusion - Enlarging the access of young people with fewer opportunities to EVSB) Offering equal opportunities - Increasing active citizenship and European awareness of young people with fewer opportunitiesC) Enhanced skill development and improved employability of young people with fewer opportunities OBJECTIVES The objectives of the project are:1. the inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities significantly underrepresented in European voluntary services2. the engagement of more stakeholders interested and able to enlarge the capacities of volunteer programmes in Europe3. the promotion of EVS, specifically the idea of a more inclusive EVS, by using a widespread communication and dissemination strategy. NUMBER AND PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTSThere will be 5 participants, young people facing educational difficulties, socio-economic obstacles, cultural differences (immigrant background, minorities), and/or geographical obstacles. The participants should preferably be at their first transnational experience. The young participants will be between 17 and 30 years old. DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIESThe YES Forum and the partner organisations of this project have great expertise in work with young people with fewer opportunities and extensive experience with EVS projects, so we rely on well-established and reliable procedures and experienced staff. Together with Itinéraire Internationale, Stiftung Evangelische Jugendhilfe St. Johannis, and Chance for Life Foundation, we will identify the most suitable place for the volunteers to be involved in. Depending on the background and personal resources s/he will volunteer in one of the different fields possible in Bernburg. The EVS include activities in the fields of environment, working with children in kindergarten or youth centres, and also sports, leisure time activities as well as other socially beneficial activities.Finally the tasks will be mainly related to:• Support regular activities with children and young people• Assist in organisational work• Assist in organising special events for sports or leisure activities• Support technical workshops for young peopleMETHODOLOGY The concept of the project is based on mixing both formal and non-formal learning approaches encouraging the active involvement of participants, giving them space to take an active role, express themselves and share their own experience. The following methods will be used in the project: team building exercises, individual and group work, interactive presentations, field visits, practical work, outdoor activities, and common project development.IMPACT AND LONGER TERM BENEFITSEncouraging young people to volunteer has benefits for the young people as well as the communities in which they live. Giving the participants the opportunity to explore a new culture, get out of their comfort zone and gain new skills, will help them realise their full potential and encourage them to play an active role in their society, while their participation in a transnational project could improve their mobility. Furthermore, becoming more self-confident and able to communicate more easily could help them in the long term to access educational and professional opportunities they did not even dare to previously consider.