Swedish Youth Center is looking for a volunteeer
Swedish Youth Center is looking for a volunteeer
The volonteer would work with international youth work; helping out to prepare different projects that our organisation is doing such as Youth exchanges, EVS, seminars etc. and also help out at a youth center some nights a week.
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
Sweden
Long term
9 month starting Sepember 2009


