A. Project environment:

Our Organization specializes in a few areas of activity: conducting activities connected with the counteracting of the drivers' insobriety; conducting therapy of the autistic children; conducting preventive activity among children and youth from the negligent environments, with a special attention to families with an alcohol problem.
The Organization is an NGO operating mainly in Warsaw. Some activities are being conducted all over Poland, and that is why the Organization has a national scope of activity. Organization cooperates with about 20 specialists in a given field of activity and with a few volunteers.
Our Organization realizes few projects. The place where the project is being realized depends upon the project itself.
The project connected with the therapeutic work with the autistic children is being realized in Warsaw, so the volunteer would live and operate in the capital of Poland - Warsaw. Warsaw is a very fast developing city, which has already started preparing for the EURO 2012. Owing to a very good system of public transportation, the volunteer would have a chance to sightsee in his free time many places in the vicinity of Warsaw. When participating in the realization of the project, the volunteer will be in a direct contact with the autistic children, with their families, and with the therapists.
The project dealing with helping children from dysfunctional families is being realized in a few small towns (up to 50 thousand inhabitants), so the volunteer would live in Warsaw and would travel to towns located in the vicinity of Warsaw.
When realizing this project, the volunteer would have a direct contact with the therapists and with the participants of the program.
The project connected with the counteracting of the drivers' insobriety is being realized throughout Poland, so the volunteer would live in Warsaw, but at the same time in order to participate in the realization of the project, would have to travel with the representative of the Organization all over Poland.
While realizing this project, the volunteer would have a chance to contact young people taking a drivers course, and to discuss with them the issue of the drivers' sobriety.
The volunteer would live in a rented room being a part of an apartament belonging to a Polish family. This would give him an opportunity to contact this family on a daily basis and to get acquainted with an everyday life in Poland.

B. Proposed activities for EVS volunteers:

To young people who will come to us as volunteers, we offer above all a possibility of getting a first hand inside knowledge of our culture as well as living conditions in Poland.
Every volunteer will get a thorough training pertaining to the subjects, which will become his or her tasks. In addition to that, during the time that the volunteer will be in Poland he will receive help and support from a special person who will act as his counselor/assistant.
When realizing every project, the volunteer will have to participate in each of the projects in the amount of about 30 hours per week, however it will be individually adjusted to both, the project and the volunteer's preference (usually 2 days per week are free).
Every week the volunteer will have 2 to 4 Polish language lessons.
A pleasant atmosphere at our organization, Polish hospitality an open attitude towards young volunteers, as well as the staff with a pedagogical knowledge and experience as far as working with young people is concerned will guarantee that the time spent in Poland will supply the volunteer with a sound knowledge as well as with many nice memories.
The volunteer will do the tasks under the guidance and supervision of the employee of our Organization. The first stage will be to get acquainted with the specificity of the project and with the conditions of life in Poland, as well as planning together with the counselor/ supervisor the time-table of the tasks. At the same time the volunteer will be a bridge between the hosting organization and organizations in the country sending the volunteer operating within the same scope of activity. We hope that the exchange of the volunteers will lead to a closer international cooperation.
In case of the project connected with the therapy of the autistic children, the role of the volunteer will be to support individual therapists. The volunteer will have an opportunity to get a close look at the model of the therapeutic work realized by our Organization. At the same time he will have an opportunity to contact directly parents of the children, and in case of organizing therapeutic vacations / camps will have a chance to get acquainted with the Polish tourist regions.
In case of the project involving the work with the children from dysfunctional families, the volunteer will participate in organizing the free time of the children and youth in various institutions and organizations working with the children. The volunteer will cooperate with the pedagogical staff and will be able to use of his creativity. The volunteer will also have a chance to develop good relationship with the children and with their parents.
Depending upon the skills of the volunteer he will be able to get involved in starting a cooperation with similar groups in his country, thus enabling the realization of the future projects, which would be a part of the Programme "Youth in Action" involving excluded youth.
The project regarding the issue of drunk driving would require the volunteer to assist in the realization of the educational programmes mainly for young people taking a drivers course. Classes related to the project pertain to the drunk driving issue. The volunteer will have a chance to talk directly with the young participants of the course and discuss with them the problem of insober drivers. Because of the fact that the project is being realized all over Poland, the volunteer will travel with the employee of our Organization who conducts the drivers courses. Thus, the volunteer will not only have an opportunity to get a good knowledge of the drunk driving issue, but he will have a chance to visit many places throughout Poland.

C. Volunteer profiles and recruitment process:

We would be interested in cooperating with any sending organization, which has proper authorization according to the requirements/regulations of the Programme "Youth in Action", which pertain to the sending organization. We expect to receive a CV, as well as a letter with some additional information from the volunteer along with an indication of the project in which he would like to participate. We have no special requirements as far as the volunteer is concerned, and we will welcome anyone who is willing to learn. Our only requirement is that the volunteer will be interested in the projects in which he will be involved.

D. Special needs (if applicable):

Because of the fact that our Organization employs a very highly qualified staff with a sound pedagogical and psychological knowledge and a lot of experience in working with maladjusted youth, we are able and well prepared to accept volunteers from dysfunctional groups. Because of the specificity of the projects, acceptance of a volunteer with limited capabilities will be discussed individually with the sending organization.

E. Risk prevention, protection and safety:

The staff of our Organization is made up of experienced educators, psychologists and therapists. Each one of the volunteers will have a person from the Organization, who will be responsible for his stay in Poland. In case of psychological/emotional crysis, the person in question will receive an immediate competent support at the place of his stay. Every volunteer at the very beginning of his stay in Poland will get acquainted with the conditions of safe stay in the given local community, including the conditions of safe travelling. Because of the fact that the volunteer will live with a Polish family, he will have a safe stay and a possibility of getting an advice at any given moment.

http://ec.europa.eu/youth/evs/aod/hei_form_en.cfm?EID=58000405110