City of Pori, Department of Sports and Youth Affairs coordinates this EVS -project "International Youth Houses" and will host two (2) volunteers for 12 months to work in the field of youth work. Project partners are sending organisations from Germany and France. With this project we want to provide the volunteers, youthworkers and youngsters a positive experience of different cultures coming together and hopefully it will have long term impact on their view of the world. We see the potential in making international contacts and experiences, how it makes people more confident and open minded. Internationality and different cultures should be an obvious part of all of our lives. We believe creating projects where people from different cultural backrounds can get to know each other and learn to work together is the best way to do this. We also want all the parties of this project to get that "international experience" which seems to have become a necessity in our globalicing society.Pori has more and more immigrants moving in year by year, but still we struggle to get the immigrant youngsters in our youth activities. We are improving our cooperation with organisations working with immigrants and developing the channeling of advertising our activities. EVS projects with international volunteers is of great help with this task and we are on our way to create a positive international atmosphere in our youth houses. It is a more natural chance for our immigrant youth to come take part in our activities when there are people already showing the way. Volunteers chosen to this project have the motivation to work with youngsters, are responsible and able to take care of personal and work related affairs independently with the support of the mentor of hosting organisation. It is also important that they can cooperate well in our work community of 16 youth workers.Volunteers have the opportunity to learn how to work in a team and organise activities for youth. Work includes facing the youth in a professional way which is a great opportunity to learn leader skills. There will be a variety of methods applied in different activities and volunteers can learn a great deal of practical tools. Volunteers will mainly take part in our usual activites and bring their own view and skills in to the work. We also provide the possibility for the volunteers to use their own abilities and strengths when planning and organising activities. If volunteers are for example skilled in music or sports they can use these skills to create activities for the youngsters. The role of volunteer workers is to work at the youth houses and in our youth groups, always with the support of our youth workers. The work is mostly about being there for the youngsters as an adult, spending time with them, listening, guiding and acting as a role model. The work will also be creating and guiding small activities and events at the youth houses, like game nights, small trips, handicrafting, sports etc. or participating in bigger events planned together with the youth leaders like discos for all the youngsters in Pori.There is a possibility to help other youth workers, aside the youth houses, in guiding some small groups. For example the international youth group that meets weekly to learn from other cultures. Volunteers can also participate in any kind of projects and events in the youth department.