A. Project environment:

Podlasie region is located in the northern-eastern part of Poland. The whole area is a part of the Green Lungs of Poland - the territory with multitude of national and regional parks and nature reservations, great wilderness (famous Bialowieza forest, for example), thousands of lakes, the largest swamps in central Europe. Podlasie region is well-known not only for its marvellous environment but also for its multicultural and multireligious values. One can find here Belorussian, Ukrainian and Lithuanian national minorities as well as the traces of Jewish one. The ethnic minorities are represented by Tartars and Gipsies. Bialystok (300 000 inhabitants) is the capital of this region. It is a great administrative, academic and cultural centre. There are two nature reservations and large territory of communal forests and parks within its boundaries. About 50 000 students study in Bialystok. Located in the distance of 50 km to the Belarussian border, the city is the place where several routes and railway lines cross.
The office of our organisation is located in a primary school next to the city centre. Most of the activities are carried out in the city or the surrounding area of the Podlasie region.

B. Proposed activities for EVS volunteers:

The volunteer is supposed to take a part in various activities of RO PTTK, which are strictly related to the regular work of organization. Because of a special character of some work, volunteer's working time could be flexible to a certain extent. However, the volunteer is expected to spend about 30 hours at work each week.

Activities of the volunteer will be divided into two groups: 1) work outside the office of organization and 2) office work. The main activities outside office are: a) inventory of monuments of architecture, monuments of nature and other touristic values of our region; b) assisting tourist staff (guides, commanders) during excursions organized by PTTK for its members and other people; c) assisting PTTK activists in educational and touristical projects, 4) repairing and monitoring marked touristic routes administered by RO PTTK in Bialystok.
During the outside work, such as participating in the practical training for the future tour guides the volunteer will have an exceptional chance to get to know Podlasie region very well. He/she will learn about heritage, national minorities and religions which made Podlasie so multicultural.
Examples of other volunteer activities outside the office: searching and describing objects of tourist interest, taking photos of them, collecting information about these objects from various sources. The outside work depends on the weather.
In the office the volunteer will help, first of all, in simple office work like distributing information materials, translating papers, sending letters etc. Besides, he/she will be responsible for helping in organizing of seminars, courses and meetings.

The role of the volunteer in the organisation will be to support our activities, but also to exchange about his/her culture and heritage ot his/her country. Our aim is to integrate the volunteer into the social environment of our organization and to give the volunteer the opportunity to meet people involved in touristic and ecological activities as well as to meet history, culture and tradition of Podlasie region.

During the project the volunteer should acquire especially the following competences:
- the ability to work in a task-oriented team
- the competence of flexible work
- opennes in contacts with clients, partners and PTTK members
- knowledge about the region, especially its cultural, social and natural environment
- competences in the field of tourism, such as organisation, promotion and service of tourist trips and travels, maintaining of track marking works, creating an inventory of tourist attractions of the region.

C. Volunteer profiles and recruitment process:

The volunteer should be open-minded, ready to work in team and present good manners. The knowledge of English language and the skill of riding a bike will be welcome. He/she should be in a good condition for outside work

D. Risk prevention, protection and safety:

The Host Organisation will support the volunteer during his/her stay and work in Podlasie region. He/she will have a mentor, who will meet him/her frequently in order to work out any problems that can occure. The coordinating organisation will take care of the accomodation and EVS organisational things.
The volunteer would get all the practical information about free time opportunities in Bialystok and surroundings. The same refers to the places where he/she could meet young people and make new friendships.

Responsible for the supervision of the volunteer's safety will be his/her mentor, who will communicate his/her remarks and conclusions to the board ot the organisation. The risk prevention will be carried out by the mentor, and if not sufficient, by the board of the organisation. The preventive measures will be first of all: consulting with the volunteer, giving advices and warnings, in special cases also giving orders or prohibitions.
The estimation of the seriousness of a crisis situation will be done by the mentor or the board of the organisation. The mentor will be also responsible for solving the crisis and if he/she will be the side of the crisis, by the board. The methods of solving critical situations will be above all discussions, negotiations, mediations and in special cases also orders or prohibitions.
The volunteer will have the right to appeal to the board of the organisation against the orders or prohibitions given by his/her mentor.

http://ec.europa.eu/youth/evs/aod/hei_form_en.cfm?EID=58000434026