The volunteer will take part in an EVS group project that aims to increase European awareness among youth in the town of Marche-en-Famenne and to improve a closer collaboration between local youth services. The volunteer will be hosted during the same time as two european volunteers who will work for other local organizations (Mic-ados and Compagnons Bâtisseurs). However, the main part of his/her activities will only proceed within the hosting organization, la Maison des Jeunes (Youth Centre).

The first mission of a Youth centre is to support the development of a critical, active and responsible citizenship among youth. We mainly work with young people from 12 to 26 years, encouraging and helping them to develop cultural activities in order to support their participation in the social, economic and politic life and their awareness of the current society topics.
For that, we use the "project pedagogy" and focalise on the appropriation of the activities by our public. It's meanwhile the negotiation, the preparation, the execution and the evaluation of a project that young people can acquire important skills for their self-development and construction as adult and citizen. This means that "La Maison des Jeunes" expects from the young people they express their ideas and desires and help to their realization.

The usual activities of "La Maison des jeunes" are the following:
- During the school year, we propose weekly workshops (rock'n'roll, african drums, African dance singing, electro-drum,..).
- During the holidays, we propose training activities: multi-sports, caving, photograph, new technologies discovering, graffitis…
- We open the Youth Centre 15 hours per week in order to offer the young people a place where they can meet each other, play games, chat and talk with the employees of the organization.
- There are various annual or exceptional projects, such as the organization of thematic evenings (games, cards tournament, karaoké...), concerts, a music festival, Jam Sessions (meetings of musicians), a holiday camp, excursions, and exchanges with other Youth Center.
- Animations are proposed during the midday break in secondary schools of the town.
- A music studio is available in the Youth Centre for the local bands.

The Centre is located in the town of Marche-en-Famenne. However we target to work with the young people of all the villages that surrounds the town. Most of them cannot come to the Centre because of the bad quality a local public transport. We make a special effort therefore to develop activities in the villages as well.

The town of Marche-enFamenne, located in the South of Belgium (French-speaking part) counts 16.640 inhabitants. It is surrounded by the villages of Hollogne, Waha, Verdenne, Champlon-Famenne, Grimbiémont, Lignières, Roy, Aye, Humain, Marloie, Hargimont and On.
Marche-en-Famenne is located in a rural area. The cultural activity offers are not as numerous as in the big cities, but those -Liege, Namur, Brussels- are easy to join by car and/or train (1h30 of journey maximum)·

TASKS :

Activities with La Maison des Jeunes :

The volunteer will have the possibility to participate in all the activities developed by "La Maison des Jeunes" : workshops, training activities, opening hours of the Youth House, excursions, creation of projects… That will permit him/her to develop a global approach of our work.

Opening hours in the Youth Centre :
The volunteer will be in charge, with an employee of the Youth Centre, to open it during the week. During the opening hours, each young people is free to enter in the Centre, to use it to meet his/her friends, to play (dards, cards….).

Workshops and training activities:
Depending of his/her abilities and desires, the volunteer will participate in workshops and training activities proposed by the Centre (dance, music, sport…). He/she will help to the preparation and the follow-up of the activities.

Excursions and visits:
The EVS volunteer will be in charge, with an employee of "La Maison des Jeunes " to organize visits and excursions for the young people who attend the Centre: e.g. bowling, paintball, an excursion to the see coast, to an animation park…

Collective activities with other EVS volunteers :

The EVS activity within la Maison des Jeunes is attached to a group EVS project that aims to increase european awareness among youth in Marche-en-Famenne and to improve a closer collaboration between the local youth services.
For that reason, some activities will be run with two other EVS volunteers (hosted by Compagnons Bâtisseurs and Mic-Ados).
The volunteers will work together especially during special youth events organized once a year in Marche-en-Famenne: Rock festival, Carnaval, youth services open day, end of exams party…. The volunteers will help to the preparation and follow-up of these events. In some occasions, they will hold an information stand presenting EVS program and youth exchanges opportunities.
They will have the opportunity to organize a "european night" in the youth house as well and to present their country and traditions to the locals.

The EVS volunteers could help in the organization of any further common activity between Mic-Ados, Maison des jeunes and Compagnons Bâtisseurs, e.g. international youth exchange, neighbourhood fest, mini-football local tournament…

http://ec.europa.eu/youth/evs/aod/hei_form_en.cfm?EID=20000091032