Project environment

The Vlotho Youth Courtyard is located in the east-western region of the state 'Nordrhein-Westfalen'. The university-city called Bielefeld (35 km), the cities Herford (15km), Bad Oeynhausen (5km) and Minden (15km) are situated in the surroundings. The latter have an economic structure that is marked by health resorts and tourism. Vlotho is directly located in the near of the free-way A2, thus it is at the passage-way Berlin-Ruhrgebiet (Ruhr Basin).

During the habitation in Youth Courtyard the volunteer has the chance, to get to know various areas of operation in the educational establishment. The operational areas are textual as well as in such areas like reception, domestic economy and domestic science. Due to the varied working-day, the volunteer has a diversity of opportunities to expanse his/her competences (e.g. contact with media; computing, ability to communicate, event management, skills for educational work.)

The volunteer will be appointed for the following:
a)Reception/domestic science:
Establishing contact to people attending advanced training, support of participants if questions arise, hotline in the reception, support of the seminar management during running events, decoration of lounges and course rooms, distribution of clean laundry into closets.
b)technical areas in the house-work
Support with the arrangement of rooms for the seminars, support of gardening,
c)seminars
Assistance during various events, course/seminar assistance, in particular during big events. This depends on former experiences with independent conceptions of projects (e.g. internet, offers in the frame of special weeks for pupils or practice programs in the musical and cultural area). A skilled member will be available as contact person, if needed. Moreover, the Youth' Courtyard provides a variety of opportunities for the volunteers, to organize and carry out their own projects, where they can bring in their individual abilities and notions. Up to now, our volunteers have worked independent in photo-documentaries of the work at the Youth' Courtyard, analysis of an interview of members, musical lessons and conception of an info-map for our guests and also inquiries for pedagogic co-workers.

Everything carried out by the volunteer, will be supported and trained by a responsible co-worker.
At the beginning of the voluntary service, the volunteer will be appointed for practical things, so that he/she gets to know the institution and its workflow. Afterwards, an application form will be developed together in regular gaps (2-3 months). Then a decision is made, how fast the integration in the seminars takes place. Interests and abilities of the volunteers are of central importance.

For the work in the Youth' Courtyard, we wish to get volunteers, who love to be around people, who are open-minded and flexible to new requirements. Basic knowledge of the German language and the ability to learn a language fast are one of the main conditions for the integration into the course activity. Moreover, the interest for educational work, in order to develop personal projects and pre-experiences (e.g. in art, music, creativity or in media-pedagogic areas) is very helpful. A person with his/her own initiative and the ability to articulate own interests, would fit into this image.


The volunteer will be living in a separate apartment. Under these circumstances supervision cannot be guaranteed, that's why volunteers under 18 years will not be taken on. The volunteer will regularly be in touch with the person to turn to of the project. He/she is both the person, who guides and instructs the volunteer and the person to turn to for everyday problems. In case the relationship between the volunteer and his/her supervisor develops in the direction that no trusting contact is possible, there is still the responsible person of the hosting organisation as another possible person to turn to. This person stands outside the work of the project. He/she will already be in contact before the departure of the volunteer and will lead through a meeting with a group of volunteers at the beginning of the voluntary service. The meeting takes a few days. Approximately every two months there will be a personal talk with the person of the hosting organisation. With this personal meeting, he/she is able to guarantee that the volunteer is fine and that the volunteer could develop a trusting relationship to the people in his/her project. Just shortly after the middle of the voluntary service, the hosting organisation visits the project to ensure that the general conditions of the EVS and the "Activity Agreement" are being realized in the project. In case that there is a serious problem, the hosting organisation will try to intervene and visit the project again. There is regular exchange both between the volunteer and the hosting organisation and between the project and the hosting organisation.

Motivation and EVS experience

In background of the programmatic orientation of the Youth' Courtyard (with regard to intercultural and political learning) and the mission to promote engagement of citizens, the offer of a place for a European volunteer expresses the way the organization sees itself.
The opportunity to encounter directly is especially important for us. This arises during the work between European volunteers with co-workers and members. Hosting volunteers since 2001. The volunteers came from Polen, Romania, Turkey and Slowakia.

Description of the organisation

The Vlotho Youth Courtyard offers arrangements of advanced training for people, who are active in the childrens- and youth aid. The fact that Germany increasingly develops into a multi-cultural-society, has a great influence on educational areas. Therefore, it also has a considerable influence on those, who are active in such areas. The youth courtyard Vlotho deals with issues concerning constructive cooperation of people from different cultures. The program for advanced training therefore intends to convey intercultural competences. For the Vlotho Youth Courtyard the opening up of society is a great opportunity towards other cultures and above all, an enrichment.
Furthermore, the offer contains renewal of job-related knowledge, enlargement of abilities to act and practice of methods and techniques. Particularly adults belong to our target groups. They are primary, tributary and honorary active in children- and youth aid. Additionally, students and apprentices belonging to educational science and social science, welfare work, social pedagogy and employees from institutions with interfaces, belong to these categories Jugendhof Vlotho works with a staff of x persons. They are working in the field of .housekeeping, administration and pedagogic. Above theat the institution is cooperating with freelancers.