• Applications shall consist of cv, foto and a motivationletter concerning the project you are interested in. A general motivationletter is not enough. Please explain why you are interested in the project. And please name the project number otherwise it is not possible for me to relate your application to the single project.

A.
The children- and youthclub is situated in the district Pankow-Weißensee in Berlin, in the NorthEast of the city. You can reach the MAXIM by tram (20min from Alexanderplatz). The house is situated on a 4000qm area with playground, streetball, skaterarea, ecological garden and a pond.
In Weißensee there are living about 55.000 inhabitants and it looks more like a small city than a part of a metropole. In the immediate vicinity, appartment buildings, small industries, service provider and shops can be found. There are two grammar schools, some primary schools, two cinemas, 5 recreational facilities, a few parks and green spaces with small lakes.
The population density, compared to the rest of Berlin, is not very high. The percentage of people with social problems, unemployment etc. increases and the children and adolescents are also negatively affected by that.

B.
In the facility, the volunteer will have several opportunities to make contact with other volunteers (national or international) and with honorary members of the institution, with whom they can work together on some of the projects. During their daily work, volunteers will participate in team consultations, intern and extern meetings and professional trainings. Furthermore, a language course will be offered at the VHS. The volunteer will work in a team and be responsible for certain tasks. The volunteers are provided the opportunity to chose a focal point according to their interests and talents, for which he or she will be responsible during their project (of course always with the favored and needed support). These projects could be: environmental projects (e.g. the use of solar energies), musicpaedagogical projects, creative offers for children and adolescents or networking between youth institutions for the organisation of a major musical event (RAKATAK).

C.
The volunteers should be tolerant ond openminded. They should be interested in working together with children and youth. They should also be interested in music. Even the communication in English is no problem for the employees and some children and youth in the club, the volunteer should be interested in and willing to learn German. The volunteer should be open to show her/his cultural background in the daily work. But they do not have to arrive with a clear structured concept of their volunteer year, this will be developped together.
Regarding the sending organisation, we have no special wishes. We keep in touch with those organisations that sent us volunteers in the past years. But even when the collaboration with these organisations has worked very well, we continue to remain open for "new" organisations, countries and cultures.
The expression of interest of the Maxim can easily be obtained by those interested at the internet page of "go4europe". People who are interested can contact our co-ordinating organisation. Moreover, before the selection interviews with new volunteers, all (accredited) sending organisations are informed by the co-ordinating organisation and are asked to send them the applications of interested juveniles. As volunteers do not need special knowledge for their EFD in the Maxim, our project can be interesting for a notably high number of adolescents.

D.
As the VJF has already extensive experience as a co-ordinating organisation in the range of international volunteer services, they decided to accept volunteers with special needs as well. Since 2002 the VJF has worked together with other voluntary organizations (within the "Alliance" - Alliance of European Voluntary Service organizations) to develop programs for disadvantaged young people to give them the chance to take part in international voluntary exchange programs. On account of this program the VJF already sent volunters to international projects and the VJF already hosted disadvantaged volunters in international projects in Germany. Three employees of the VJF are educated social pedagogues and one of them is especially responsible for the EVS and she is the constant contact person for the volunteers.
The Maxim also continuely works with children and juvenils with fewer opportunities due to their social and educational disadvantages as well as mentally disabled people (e.g. with learning disabilities). During the years, the staff of the institution (two social worker and two educators) have gained a lot of experiences in the work with people with fewer opportunities and therefore feel prepared to work together with joung people with fewer opportunities in the range of the EFD as well.

E.
As soon as the volunteers arrive, they will be introduced to the project, the colleagues and their field of work as well as their personal tutors. The latter will aid them not only with their personal problems but also with difficulties concerning their work. Volunteers can choose by themselves whom to address as their contact person (does not have to be their assigned tutor). This is possible, because each staff member is informed and involved in the EFD. Furthermore, the adolescents will be supported in establishing contact with ex-evs, who can become a second backup next to the people in their actual working position. The VJF will also encourage them to approach other volunteers (e.g. from other coordinated projects).
In addition, frequent feedback discussions should provide them the opportunity to bring up possibly occuring problems immediately and in a safe setting, and as a group, they can find a solution together.
The contact between the recepting and sending organisation will be hold up during the whole duration of the project to ensure the possibility to intervene in the case of tensions or crisis.
In the facility, the volunteers are instructed to all areas concerning work and fire prevention. They are also introduced to the particularities of the building and the usable open spaces. Moreover, there will be an extensive instruction to the conditions (fire prevention, escape routes, arrangement of the keys and so on) of their quarters where the volunteers will be accommodated during their staying (together with the VJF).