PROJECT ENVIRONMENT

The volunteers would be active in the youth center and the daily open activities and the special activities of the season. The center is located in the center of Molndal and the visitors are a mix of different ethnicities. The atmosphere in the center is friendly and open-minded. The center has a dedicated group that works in the café to make a youth exchange (each group works about two semesters). The area is basically low to medium -middle class and the teenagers are mostly well adapted. Although in the neighbourhood there are some (older) teens that wants to be gangsters. We work all the time hard to prevent the younger ones to glorify that kind of life-style. There is hard pressure on especially the boys to show attitude. Although in the youth center there is no room for having bad attitude - which we are very proud of.

Lindhaga Youth Center is located in the west of Molndal, just south of neighbour city Gothenburg. Gothenburg and Molndal are located on the west coast of Sweden with its very beautiful archipelago. Molndal has about 60.000 inhabitants and is a city that is growing. In Molndal there are all the advantages in a city but also the vicinity to nature. From Molndal City center to Gothenburg City center (Valand) it takes 15 min with tram.

The volunteer will stay in a rented apartment/room in Molndal. Depending on the time, will be a shared apartment with other volunteer or a single apartment or room. In Molndal there are many ways of spending free time, there are many active sports organisations to engage in, gyms etc. We have a big Activity Center called "Aktiviteten" in the center of

Molndal, there is also a bowling hall. We have "Åby Simhall" which is the public baths, with adventure bath, gym etc. There is also "Åby Travbana" for horse racing. In the summer season there are many lakes for swimming and you can go to the sea.

A wider range of activities is available in Gothenburg city only 15 min away. There is all you want of music, culture, food and entertainments such as amusement park Liseberg. Two major events of the year is "Gothenburg Film Festival" (jan-feb) with 2 weeks of international film experiences and the "Gothenburg Book Fair" (sept) where you are able to meet authors from all over the world.

RULES AND CONDITIONS

We don't have a community for the volunteers, and the volunteers will either share or have their own place. There are no special rules, except for common decency rules that apply for all apartments. No noise after 22.00 pm and basic care for neighbours. The volunteer has to clean the place and leave it as it was found.

SERVICE AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

The volunteer will have the mandatory Swedish learning course. The volunteer will have the possibility to have a gym-card, transportation/bus-card to be able to travel throughout Molndal as well as Gothenburg (also includes the archipelago). The volunteer will also get HLR & Fire education.

We believe the volunteers will achieve better social skills, better knowledge about group dynamics and social behaviour, improve rhetoric and how to speak to groups, learn to lead group activities, knowledge about youth influence & democracy, insights in budget planning and budget implementation as well as knowledge about municipal organisation. The volunteer will improve their English skills as well as studying the Swedish language.

ROLE OF THE EVS VOLUNTEERS

The volunteer will be a support and an extra spice to the Youth Center. We hope that the volunteer takes own initiatives and could be responsible for a special own project if the volunteer feels ready for it, of course with support from the instructor. The volunteer will be part of every day activities in the youth center and a part of the team.

ACTIVITIES FOR THE VOLUNTEERS

Themes for the volunteer to engage in; sport activities in and outside the youth center, environment issues, gender issues, cultural activities. Volunteers in the summer time will be engaged in the Djursjön Summer camp for kids and teenagers- wildlife activities such as canoeing, fishing, swimming, camp life, adventure pedagogic etc.

A volunteer that comes to Lindhaga youth center will be able to engage in the daily youth work at the center and will learn how to lead young people and learn to use team building activities, value practice exercises etc.

For example the volunteer would be engaged in the "Youth Center Introduction" for new students at the school which means to introduce them to the youth center and making value practice exercises. The "Youth Center Introduction" goes on for a couple of weeks in August-September for all new students.

The volunteer will be engaged in for example boy/girl group activities. Helping out in preparing for youth exchanges; we regularly work with a group of teens that work in the café to save up money to make a travel or youth exchange. They usually work for two semesters with different activities. The volunteer would help out in working with this group and preparing them for the exchange with theme activities and group building exercises.

The volunteer can also be leading sports activities and excursions, helping out in different workshops at the center such as ceramics and other handicraft, film & photo - workshops etc. In preparing for the work in our youth center we will work to find a special theme, task or project for the volunteer. For example to work with creative workshops in the center, to work on a film project with a special group of interested teenagers, to engage in the preparation of a youth exchange etc.

Example Volunteer schedule:

Monday

9-12 Working in the youth center- school hours (Making contact with teens, engage in different sports activities, games etc, help the teens with café work)

Lunch 12-13

13-16 Mentor meeting

- Follow up; work, general questions, etc

- Making plans for the week! Preparing for theme-work on Wednesday/Friday PM (Art/handicrafts workshop, film screening with discussions, sports tournament etc)

Tuesday

15-17 (Only Girls hours) Special activities for girls such as sports, cooking, value practices exercise etc

17-18 (Centre closed) Time to eat dinner / making preparations etc

18-21.30 Centre open for all members - Ceramics /handicraft workshop / regular activities

Wednesday

13-17 Attending weekly staff meeting

17-18 Centre closed - Time to eat/ making preparations etc

18-21.30 Centre open for all members - Prepared theme activities lead by the volunteer & staff

Thursday

9-12 Daytime Working in the youth center- during school hours (Making contact with teens, engage in different sports activities, games etc)

Lunch 12-13

13-16 (Centre closed ? all staff has preparation time) Preparing for theme-work on Wednesday/Friday PM (Art/handicrafts workshop, film screening with discussions, sports tournament, other...)

Friday (Every 2nd week works Friday day 9-16 or evening 17-23)

9-12 Working in the youth center- during school hours (Making contact with teens, engage in different sports activities, games etc)

Lunch 12-13

13-16 Preparing for theme-work on Wednesday/Friday PM (Art/handicrafts workshop, film screening with discussions, sports tournament etc)

17-18 Centre closed - Time to eat/ making preparations etc

18-23.00 Centre open for all members - Leading prepared activities for the evening (with help from regular staff)

RISK PREVENTION, SAFETY AND PROTECTION

We will give the volunteers CPR & Fire education, apart from the specific safety precautions of the work place. We will of course give the volunteers know how about the conditions in Sweden and day-to-day knowledge about getting around. The volunteer will have a contact list of phone numbers for people in Molndal and the organisation. There will also be someone that the volunteers can contact at any time. We will make a contract - like the ones we use for youth exchange- for the volunteer if under 18 years old. (Including not drinking, using drugs etc). We will make sure that we have appropriate contact with the sending organisation under the whole period, and also have an updated contact list for the volunteer. Of course the volunteer need to be appropriately ensured.

VOLUNTEER PROFILES AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

We will search for hosting EVS throughout our networks as well as EI database and Eurodesk. We will have a small committee for selecting EVS. For sending EVS we will promote the Youth in Action Programme and the different opportunities through our network of KEKS. There will be an international monthly newsletter for all interested parties in the network. We are interested in making partners with serious organisations.

SPECIAL NEEDS

When taking on a volunteer with special needs we will provide extra support for this person, for example extra time with the hand leader or special support from either inside or outside the organisation. It can be for example time with the Youth counsellor at the school or cooperation with the church or organisations that can provide support of some kind.

We also believe that having regular meetings/talks with the volunteer is important to make sure the volunteer is comfortable with his/her placement and his/her work. Also the contact with the home and the contact person it the home country is very important. A Skype-package for immediate communication can be very helpful.

There are also several different disability organisations in the City of Molndal that we are able to cooperate with in order to gain extra support and mentorship from. In the Lindome youth center in the south of Molndal they are cooperating with such organisations in making "Handicap-disco" for example and we are able to cooperate with them. If needed in case of extra support we have the KEKS-network to get help and contacts from.

http://ec.europa.eu/youth/evs/aod/hei_form_en.cfm?EID=64000421388