Weingarten (German for "vineyard") is a town with a population of 24,500 inhabitants in the District of Ravensburg, between the Alps, the Lake of Constance and the Swabian Alb. Together with the southern neighbour cities of Ravensburg and Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance (Bodensee), it forms a medium-sized infrastructural centre. The town is seat of the University of Applied Sciences of Ravensburg-Weingarten (Hochschule Ravensburg-Weingarten) and of the Teachers' College of Weingarten (Pädagogische Hochschule Weingarten).

In 1056 a Benedictine abbey was founded at the settlement; this abbey was named Weingarten Ab-bey.The abbey of Weingarten became one of the wealthiest monasteries in southern Germany, owning about 306 km² of rich estates.

Since the late 18th century mechanical engineering has traditionally been the main industry branch in the region. Based on the demand of the paper and textile industry (now widely reduced) and a long tradition of flour, paper and other mills many engineering factories arose at the end of the 19th century.

Ravensburg is today a thriving shopping town in the wealthy region of Upper Swabia. Unemploy-ment is relatively low.

To ensure regional mobility European Volunteers get a monthly ticket which is valid for all public transport associations in the district of Ravensburg.

European Volunteers are expected to keep the rules of our work with handicapped people:

acceptance of handicapped people in their particular personality

ability to cope with strain by challenging behaviour

full cooperation with staff members

loyal and responsible acting according to the particular objective of our work

to be motivated to develop future prospects for handicapped people

to be courageous to act creative and flexible

B.

Learning opportunities:

During their activities volunteers will learn about social and emotional necessities of disabled peo-ple.

Volunteers will gain competences in social care for disabled people.

Having sole responsibility for design and realisation of leisure facilities will enhance self-assurance and self-confidence of volunteers.

Integration in a foreign culture and the self-determined life of the local community will afford volun-teers a personal orientation and increase the development of future perspectives.

Participation in internal professional development activities will provide volunteers with specialised knowledge of the health care and nursery system.

Volunteers can take part in a language training for European Volunteers arranged by the coordinat-ing organisation. The aim of the language training is the command of oral every day speech with a special focus on the terminology of social care. Through language training the volunteer should be enabled to manage typical situations of daily life they will be confronted with during their voluntary service.

Tasks:

The KBZO provides a broad spectrum of services for physically and multiple handicapped children, adolescent and adult people.

Tasks for volunteers can be offered in various departments:

pre-school and kindergarden

schools

residential Home for young people

residential Home for adult people

Volunteers get the opportunity to contribute - under guidance of staff members - to the support and leisure time program of the school and residential home. Volunteers can introduce their own ideas and abilities like computer literacy, graphic design, mechanical skills, music playing etc.

In the beginning the volunteer will only assist the groupleaders, later she/he will take on responsibil-ity - as far as admitted by legal liabilities.

Emphatically volunteers are invited to bring in their own ideas. Staff members will appreciate all ini-tiatives to develop additional proposals for leisure time activities and will support planning and reali-zation. Volunteers could develop their ideas for new games, activities or stories into a personal pro-ject if they so wished - creative ideas are always welcome.

Volunteers are expected to accomplish a fulltime voluntary service of 35 hours per week. Overtime doing will be balanced by additional freetime.

C.

The volunteer should have an interest in social work and should be open to interact with disabled children and young people who are threatended with social exclusion. Previous knowledge of work with disabled children and young people could be helpful.

It's necessary for the volunteers to be sociable and outgoing, to have enthusiasm, and to be tolerant to foreign cultures. Volunteers should be able to act on their own initiative, but also cooperate in a team.

Volunteers should have a basic knowledge of German and the willingness to learn german lan-guage.

A driving license class B would be helpful.

Candidates should describe their motivation for a voluntary service in this project in a detailed moti-vation letter. Important are neither national or social background, gender, language skills nor level of education, but a convincingly motivation.

D.

Volunteers with special needs could be accepted after consultation with the hosting organisation to find and to agree appropriate opportunities of voluntary activities

E.

The host organization provides continuous monitoring, including easy access to the contact person (Tutor), regular dialog with the volunteers, in which the options for personal development and the in-terests of the volunteer are being discussed.

To prevent crises from occurring in the first place, volunteers will be given any training necessary for them to carry out their tasks.

Volunteers will be informed about their rights, regulations in the host organization, consequences of unacceptable behaviour.

In terms of risk and crisis prevention it is very important to keep all persons involved in the project informed to be able to act immediately in the case of a crisis.

However if problems occur, volunteers have different people to contact and discuss problems with. The different people are pro-active in seeking area of concern and actively finding solutions to the issues arising.

The line manager in the respective working group is on hand daily for problems, the director of the hosting organisation is accessible for volunteers every day and the co-ordinator is available by e-mail and phone at every time but meets the volunteers weekly or biweekly during language training.

Weekly during language training volunteers can meet participants from other EVS-projects from the region to exchange experiences.

Volunteers wil have the opportunity to stay in contact with their family and sending organization via e-mail or telephone at least on a weekly basis.

http://ec.europa.eu/youth/evs/aod/hei_form_en.cfm?EID=6001682915