A.
The State-School for the Visually Impaired, Waldkirch is an educational institution for children and young people who have less than 30% visual faculty. At the present time the school has about 100 pupils and students, who are taught accordingly to their learning abilities in primary and secondary school or special school for multiple handicapped persons. The learning matters are presented in interdisciplinary topics and projects under integrated leading points. Integration into social life plays an important role in the school. Some special activities for visually impaired are offered in the school: project weeks, theatre and concerts, twin school projects, schools field centres, sporting events, partnerships with public schools, participation in club activities in the town of Waldkirch. A number of students and pupils are living in flat-sharing communities in a residential home attached to the school. Important educational guidelines are : personal development, encouraging the ability to cope with life, homework support, appropriate leisure time activities, to provide facilities to cooperate with municipal schools and cultural or sports clubs, cooperation with parents, teachers and expert advisors. On the school grounds students and pupils have to their disposal a gymnasium with indoor and outdoor climbing walls, an indoor pool, sports grounds, and a bakehouse. A ot of playground apparatus and the nearby forest offer many opportunities for experiental education and adventure based learning. Because of ist manifold tasks the institution disposes of a canteen kitchen, a laundry, a stitching and a printing plant, where special teaching and study materials are printed for schools for the visually impaired at home and abroad.
The town of Waldkirch is situated in the southwestern part of the Black Forest not far from the border triangle of Germany, France and Switzerland. The old-established university town of Freiburg is just 15 km away. At present the municipality of Waldkirch has altogether 20.000 inhabitants. Waldkirch has a long technical and industrial tradition. After the Second World War optical and electrotechnical industry as well as paper processing increased strongly. The town of Waldkirch provides a well developed infrastructure for leisure time activities: adult education program, municipal library, music school, Black Forest Zoo, local heritage museum, 2 swimming pools, several sport stadiums and a lot of club activities. There are 2 sociocultural centres in the town, called "Rotes Haus" and "Haus der Jugend".
The State-School for the Visually Impaired is located in the outskirts of Waldkirch at the foot of the Kandel, the town's landmark mountain. The next station for public transport can be reached within 15 minutes on foot. The inner-city transport is provided by 2 bus lines. There are at regularl intervals train connections to the proximate town of Freiburg (20 minutes). Furthermore there is a well developed bus traffic system to touristic centres of the higher Black Forest. To ensure regional mobility volunteers get a monthly ticket which is valid for all public transport associations of the administrative district of Freiburg..
B.
Volunteers will acquire a range of knowledge, skills and experience including a much greater understanding of issues affecting disabled people. They will also gain improved interpersonal skills and the ability to interact with a wide range of people, as well as specific skills acquired through our induction and training programme. There will also be an opportunity to learn about the wider activities of the charity, for example our campaigning and lobbying activities.
After an initial period of induction and gaining confidence with the students, 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 responsibility - as far as admitted by legal liabilities. Emphatically volunteers are invited to bring in their own ideas. Staff members will appreciate all initiatives to develop additional proposals for leisure time activities and will support planning and realization. Volunteers could develop their ideas for new games, activities or stories into a personal project if they so wished - creative ideas are always welcome.
Volunteers are invited to participate in internal vocational training seminars.The assignment of volunteers will be discussed with staff members. Volunteers are expected to accomplish a fulltime voluntary service of 35 hours per week. Overtime doing will be balanced by additional freetime.
Volunteers can take part in a language training for European Volunteers arranged by the coordinating organisation. The aim of the language training is the command of oral every day speech with a special focus on the terminology of child 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. The language training will take place one day per week in the afternoon in a classroom in Freiburg
Apart from language learning the language training serves as a weekly meeting for European Volunteers from several EVS projects situated in the region.
Every month a day of studies will be organised vor the volunteers, where the volunteers can seek advise for their choice of occupations in future, meet counselors from universities and colleges, visit the European Parliament in Strasbourg, go on excursions, or take part in cultural events. The content of this program will be discussed by the group and participation is left up to the volunteers.
C.
European volunteers should be open-minded to work with visually impaired youngsters. It's necessary for volunteers to be sociable and outgoing, to have enthusiasm, and to be tolerant to foreign cultures. They should be able to interact well with different groups of people. An enthusiastic, responsible and flexible attitude towards the work is very important. Experiences in child care and youth work would be helpful, but not a prerequisite. To get easily in touch with the staff members as well as the children and their parents, a basic knowledge of german language would be helpful. Volunteers should be able to get involved into the staff and to contribute to the work. Language learning should not be the first or only motivation to make a voluntary service in this project. Volunteers should be interested to deal with german culture and to learn to manage everyday situations in german language. The sending organisation should assure a good preparation for an assignment of the volunteer in a foreign country. A preparatory visit would be helpful. A driving license class B could be helpful.
Candidates should describe their motivation for a voluntary service in this project in a detailed motivation letter. Important are neither national or social background, gender, language skills nor level of education, but a convincingly motivation. Volunteers who are not selected can ask for detailed information about the reasons..

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.
Risk prevention and support for European Volunteers in the State School for Visually Impaired Waldkirch will be provided on several levels. In the institution volunteers are attended to by the head of department and a personal tutor to ensure the integration into the host organisation and the local community. They will hold at regular intervals meetings with all volunteers and trainees to discuss care activities. Furthermore the tutor is at the volunteers' disposal to discuss personal matters.
The volunteer will also have all day telephone support from the coordinating organisation for high level crises or personal issues. The coordinator will also travel to the host project at short notice should the situation dictate.. In addition, volunteers can meet weekly during language training participants from other EVS-projects from the region to exchange experiences.Furthermore, the coordinating organisation offers regular mentoring throughout the volunteer's stay, providing personal and operational support (to help volunteers cope with living arrangements, day-to-day tasks, etc).
To prevent crises from occurring in the first place, volunteers will be given any training necessary for them to carry out their tasks.
The hosting organisation offers the candidates to spend 4 or 5 days in an preparatory visit on-site so they become familiar with the projects program and understand their responsibilities. For this preparatory visit, the hosting organisation pays food, lodging and an allowance of 100 Euros to cover travel expenses. After this visit the candidates can decide without any obligation whether they want to participate in the project.