Pestalozzi is a registered charity with the aim and mission of inspiring young people to make a positive and lasting difference in the world. It provides the tools and environment to facilitate education for the head, heart and hands (i.e. the whole person) based on the ethos and principles of the Swiss philosopher, Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi. We have more than 50 years' experience of offering life-changing opportunities to young people from disadvantaged communities around the world. We award scholarships to exceptional 16-19 year olds who are academically gifted but because of their economic circumstances have limited educational prospects in their home countries. Our students come from India, Nepal, Bhutan, the Tibetan communities in exile, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Belize and Indonesia. These young people live for two years in a multi-cultural, multi-faith community in Sedlescombe in East Sussex, where they welcome difference and embrace diversity. They study at Sussex Coast College, Hastings and undertake a broad range of extra-curricular activities, gaining an holistic education focused on the Pestalozzi principles. We are seeking a maximum of two volunteers between the ages of 23 and 29 who are hoping to improve their spoken and written English, to develop their teaching skills and to challenge themselves to a kind of adventure which is out of their usual comfort zone. They must be willing to join in the life of the community, able to make friends quickly and easily and keen to try life away from home in a new country. Some of our most successful EVS volunteers have come from a Social Welfare background. We look for volunteers who are interested in different cultures and are keen to share their own with others. They should be enthusiastic, friendly and sociable, be prepared to share a flat with other volunteers and be happy to occasionally generate their own entertainment due to the rural location of the village (Pestalozzi is situated in the heart of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty 20 minutes drive from the nearest large town). Volunteers should be interested in international development and environmental issues as well as international co-operation and understanding. Ideally each volunteer should have some relevant experience of working with young people from diverse backgrounds, an interest in Pestalozzi and its ethos, a relevant area of expertise that they can share with Pestalozzi students, a mature attitude and outlook, a willingness to undertake a variety of tasks, an ability to be flexible with working patterns (evenings and weekends) and the skills to tutor students (up to age 20) and on occasions have responsibility for their care. It is envisaged that the volunteer will develop and improve their language and communication skills through attending English classes at the local college and through teaching the Pestalozzi students Spanish. Providing Spanish tuition will also develop the volunteer’s skills in how to plan and develop tutorial sessions and assess/support individual students’ language needs. It is anticipated that volunteers will gain further knowledge of sustainable development/environmental and global issues in general that will enhance their personal development and further their understanding and empathy for people in the developing world and the causes of their poverty (conflict situations, climate change, lack of resources, unfair trading rules etc) and that this knowledge and understanding will enable them to become a more active and responsible European/global citizen. EVS volunteers have a local, regional, national and international impact through the support that they provide to Pestalozzi students. Locally they will help our students to organise regular cultural evening events that are designed to engage with the community immediately around Pestalozzi, bringing new visitors to the Pestalozzi Village to learn about our students, their home communities and their customs. Regionally they may facilitate the students' interactions with schools across Sussex, offering British students the opportunity to engage firsthand with young people whose backgrounds are very different to their own and helping them to develop a global perspective. Nationally EVS volunteers are an integral part of the team that supports Pestalozzi students to participate in London Model United Nations discussions and debates with undergraduates from across the UK. At an international level every Pestalozzi student will take the learning from their interactions with EVS volunteers with them when they return to their home countries or take up scholarships at universities such as Stanford, MIT, NYU and Princeton.