Project environment:

Imagina, the Youth House of Alcobendas, promotes and organises training and information activities for youth in the town aged between 14 and 30 years. As part of our policy of providing opportunities of participation in international programmes, we have been hosting EVS volunteers who support us in our work for several years. This project includes hosting 6 volunteers for 9 months (October/2008 - June2009). Volunteers will mainly participate in activities in the Youth House, but also in related institutions (Library, Refugee Hosting Centre) in Alcobendas. This gives us the opportunity of giving organistions and youth collectives and individuals first hand information and a living model of the virtues of such a training and vital experience as this one. Volunteers will, therefore, integrate in the day-to-day activities of the Youth House to collaborate in the promotion, diffusion and organisation of activities, directed mainly to youth.

Alcobendas is located to about 15 km to the north of Madrid, counts on a population of 100,000 inhabitants and a very dynamic social and economic structure. It has an important industrial and business centre which employs a lot of people of Alcobendas. Regarding services, the City Council of Alcobendas is one of most outstanding ones of the Community of Madrid, with over 1,000 public employees and a large number of social, cultural and sport services for the citizens.

The youth population of Alcobendas is undergoing a fast transformation since the past years. When we began to receive volunteers EVS, in 1997, there were very few young immigrants, and therefore, their impact upon the local population was very little. Nowadays that situation has changed. The presence of immigrants is important among youth. It is important to have this into consideration when planning intervention activities for youth. We want to take advantage of the presence in Alcobendas of EVS volunteers to promote the integration of young immigrants.

PROJECT’S DESCRIPTION

“La Ciber” is one big space with computers and all kind of equipments which permit the free
use of the latest technologies to young people. In opposition It has as well plenty of
traditional games as chess, backgammon, tabletop football and others. This place allows
youngster to be admitted to take part in information society, to use correctly a computer and
to meet with their preferences. The project has got an important and strong educational part
concerning young people helping them to learn, to share things with people from different
cultures, to participate in society, etc.

OBJECTIVES

• Creating a friendly and warm place where young people can meet each other and can do activities together avoiding bad habits they may acquire spending all the time on the streets.
• Promoting among young people creation of associations and participation on sociaty.
• Offering Alcobendas young people access to new technologies, workshops and equipment to be borrowed.

MAIN ACTIVITIES

• Promoting among younster to use la Ciber.
• Motivating youngster to take part in the activities.
• Elaborating new activities related to new technologies.
• Creating a good relationship with Ciber’s users.
• Working in net with some others departments of IMAGINA.
• Promote workshops to concern youngster about good values.