A. Project environment: profile of the organisation and local community

Tallinn Youth Work Center (TYWC) was established in January, 2003. The oldest youth center in Tallinn is Lasnamäe Youth Center and it was established in 1998. At the moment it is division of TYWC. TYWC administers seven regional youth centers and Tallinn Youth Information Center. All Tallinn youth centers are opened to the youngsters who live in Tallinn and it`s neighbourhood and who are 7-26 years old. Main purpose of the TYWC is to arrange youth work in Tallinn. TYWC organises entertainments, events, youth projects and programmes; youth camps and youth exchanges. It also workes out programmes and projects to support youngsters development and to support the development of youth organisations. TYWC organises seminars and training programmes to the youth workers. TYWC started a project to organize work of District Youth Actives in Tallinn. Participating in an action of district youth active gives youngster an opportunity to take part on decision making process on local community level.
Tallinn Youth Information Center collects and distributes youth information. Youth Information Center offers information about free time facilities, studying and working possibilities, youth organisations, councelling services, international possibilities, different youth events, youth projects and programmes.
The total area of Tallinn administrative regions is 158 km2. Population of Tallinn is 377 890. There are 49% of Estonians, 37% of Russians, 4% of Ukrainians and 10% of other nations of all population in Tallinn. There are 8 city districts: Haabersti District Administration, Central Tallinn Administration, Kristiine Distrct Administration, Lasnamäe District Administration, Mustamäe District Administration, Nõmme District Administration, Pirita District Administration and Northern Tallinn Administration.
Tallinn is the political and regional-economic centre of Estonia. About one half of the gross domestic product is produced in the area including its surrounding districts. Foreign direct investments per capita in Estonia are the largest among Central and Eastern European countries.
Tallinn`s role in transit commerce between East and West has grown with every year, making up two thirds of the goods passing through. Estonia is one of the shortest and cheapest transit corridors between the European Union and the developing eastern market.
Tallinn is located in Northern Europe in the northwestern part of the Baltic Sea region. The geographical location of the city, between the highly technologically advanced Scandinavian countries and northwestern Russia with its noteworthy natural resources, is attractive for investors from neighbouring areas.

Contributing volunteers to the work of the host organisation brings new directions and international experiences and know-how`s to the organisation. Involving volunteers to the work of host organisation gives international surplus value to the organisation.
Target group of the local host organisation get knowledges about local and different culture and nation.
As TYWC is quickly developing organisation, international experiences and know-how`s are very beneficial. It also gives great opportunity and a lot of challenges for volunteers to work in the host organisation. It also gives opportunity to the volunteer to get to know how the work is done in local and international level and as well as Estonian culture and customs.
Tallinn Youth Work Centre conducts many projects concerning following issues: international relations, adventure and environment etc. Volunteers are involved in these projects and it enriches the projects with new ideas and new perspectives and brings an intercultural dimension to it.

" If the host placement is located in a live-in community, please include the rules and conditions that apply also for the volunteer.

B. Proposed activities for EVS volunteers

The volunteer will be provided with all the practical instruments while having her/his EVS project in Estonia.
The volunteer will be provided with the basic language-learning course individually/with a small group. It will mainly last during the first months of EVS projects. If the volunteer has extra initiative and possibilities to keep on studying the language then the TYWC is supporting it in many possible ways.
As well as the volunteer will be instructed by the youth workers or youth leaders in the youth centre the volunteer will work in. It is basically the theoretical and practical introduction on the regional level.
There are also some training courses about youth work in national and international level organised by/with TYWC and the volunteer will be always included in the group of participants. So the main training about youth issues will be more or less with the method "learning-by-doing". The possibilities to learn and get experience is up to the volunteer and his/hers initiative.

The main role of EVS volunteer will be a supporting team-member. Which means that the volunteer will be a colleauge who's job is to help in any activities needed, and also to lead activities brought up by the volunteer hims/herself. Basically the biggest value stands on the enrichment process where both partners (volunteer-host organisation) can learn from each other and can share some experience.

The involvment is based on the volunteer´s ability being responsible for different activities - studios, clubs, meetings, gatherings, events, projects. He/she can be responsible for an activity/project or can be in the role as a co-ordinator or a participant. Tasks and activities of the volunteer must vary depending on his/her skills and interests.
Main tasks will be working with young people directly in the "open" area in the youth centre which needs a concreate communication with them (playing some games, listen the music, chatting, helping with homework etc). There is also a large variety of studios and clubs (theater, film, photo, dance, art, music) where the volunteer can take part as a co-leader or the main leader him/herself. The project work in the TYWC needs a concrete action plan which will be worked out together with the colleagues in the youth centre. If the volunteer has his/hers own ideas for the project (local or international), then all is possible, because TYWC deals with many kind of projects (international youth exchanges, training courses, evs, local theme days, concerts etc).

E. Risk prevention, safety and protection

TYWC in most cases tries to make living and working environment as good as possible for the volunteers. If it's possible, then the volunteer lives near the city centre and shares the apartment with the other EVS or estonian ex-evs volunteer, so in case of problems which might appear it's easier to talk with the people who are experiencing something similar or have experienced that before.
The working conditions are always worked out with all the people around the volunteer. So all the staff members treat the volunteer as a colleague and help in many ways possible. It's of course a lot up to the volunteer how successful is the project for her/him. But the hosting organisation tries to make it as useful as possible by integrating the volunteer in the same environment as they are living/working themselves. Of course there are people around the volunteer who take special care of her/him (adviser, mentor etc). But most of the times, the evs project in TYWC asks a lot of initiative from the volunteer and helps it to appear and tries to develop this characteristic in the volunteer.

http://ec.europa.eu/youth/evs/aod/hei_form_en.cfm?EID=28000109701