• Applications shall consist of cv, foto and a motivationletter concerning the project you are interested in. A general motivationletter is not enough. Please explain why you are interested in the project. And please name the project number otherwise it is not possible for me to relate your application to the single project.

A. The youth club is situated in the Berlin Borough of Pankow in a part called Buchholz in the Northeast of Berlin. It takes approximately 15 min. by tramno. 50 to reach the centre of Pankow. The house is one of the larger ones in Pankow; it has 155 places. It is surrounded by a 6.000m2 estatewith, meaddows, a hill, fire places and a barbecue.You also find a wall for graffitis.
Buchholz grew rapidly since 1997 due to different building development. You can still find the old village center with the classical family houses, larger houses, big concrete blocks, but also with allotments.Buchholz has a suburban character. The structure of society varies due to the different ways of living mentioned above. Additionally, many migrants live in the concrete estattes in Buchholz. Quite a big percentage of young people live in Buchholz, 3 grammar schools, linked with a school for disabled pupils, 10 kindergardens and several play- and sportsgrounds prove that fact.

B. We offer the volunteer work in the children, as well as in the youth work field. The aim is to develop social competences by using different contents and methods. To come to this end, it is absolutely necessary to have more experienced people aside the youngsters to go along with this process. The task will be suitable for the volunteer. Part of this is to debate with other, foreign cultures, the cooperation with young people from other countries and to bring together different generations in different projects. International volunteers have the advantage of being more continously contention with a different culture which show differences, as well as cross-border similarities, that strengthens the democratic atmosphere in the club.Furthermore we see it as a big chance to give a positive picture of Germany to the international volunteers: fully tolerant, vitality and target-oriented work on joint projects. Additional we see international voluntary service quite simply as part of our task.
In the complexity of our every-day work, we are always happy when young and motivated people have fun taking over certain tasks and take over responsibility for certain tasks. The volunteer has the possibility to dispositional to choose a focus which the volunteer can work on during a long term project (of course always with the support needed).
This projects could be:
-securing existingmusical possibilities (concerts and working with bands)
-children participation
-creative offers for children and adolescents (see workshops and projects)
-manual tasks
-nature projects

C. We would like to host open and tolerant volunteers who like to be together with children and adolescents. They should, if they do not have basic knowledge yet, be opento learn German. They should be open and willing to introduce their cultural background to the visitors of the youth club, as well as their own experiences in the field of youth work. They should be able to work independently, self reliant and reliable. Nevertheless, they should not arrive with ready-made concepts of their voluntary year, we want to go through this process together. Concerning the sending organisation we do not have special wishes and do not have contacts to potential partners.

D. In the beginning we would like to refrain from hosting volunteers with fewer opportunities. Thios is due to the fact that we first would like to try to work together with a young person from a different cultural background and see how this develops. Nevertheless, in the future we might host a young person with fewer opportunities.

E. Before the volunteer will arrive at the project there will be contacts by mail and/or phone between the volunteer and the responsible contact person of the hosting project as well as to the contact person of the coordinating organisation.

As soon as the volunteers arrive, they will be introduced to the project, the colleagues and their field of work as well as their personal tutors. The latter will aid them not only with their personal problems but also with difficulties concerning their work. Beside this the volunteer will also get in contact with the contact person as well as the responsibles of the coordinating organisation. The coordinating organisation will help the volunterer as well as the hosting project in dealing with personal as well as with problems concerning the work.

Furthermore, the adolescents will be supported in establishing contact with ex-evs, who can become a second backup next to the people in their actual working position. The VJF will also encourage them to approach other volunteers (e.g. from other coordinated projects). In addition, frequent feedback discussions should provide them the opportunity to bring up possibly occuring problems immediately and in a safe setting, and as a group, they can find a solution together.

The contact between the recepting and sending organisation will be hold up during the whole duration of the project to ensure the possibility to intervene in the case of tensions or crisis.

In the facility, the volunteers are instructed to all areas concerning work and fire prevention. They are also introduced to the particularities of the building and the usable open spaces. Moreover, there will be an extensive instruction to the conditions (fire prevention, escape routes, arrangement of the keys and so on) of their quarters where the volunteers will be accommodated during their staying (together with the VJF).

The last important point is that the tutor of the hosting project will participate in a seminar for EVS - tutors organised by the German National Agency to be very well prepared for the work as a tutor and to come in contact with other people doing the same "job" as tutor.