Project environment
Kalmar is a harbour city in south-east of Sweden with 60 000 inhabitants. Kalmar is one of the oldest towns in the province with an interesting historical background. We have the Castle of Kalmar which was built in the late 13th century. The Warship Kronan Exhibition, Domkyrkan, the cathedral, all in the centre of the genuine and well preserved city Centre. Located in the middle of the center is also our guest harbour, used and widely known. The citizens of Kalmar see culture as an important contributor to the city. Active associations contribute to the diversity of cultural life. The many art galleries, museums, theatres and churches are just some of what Kalmar can offer.
In Kalmar, where ever you go, nature is close at hand. The old city park was originally laid at the end of 19th century and is right by the castle. If you want to enjoy the countryside, take a trip to Stensö or Värsnäs, two of Kalmar`s most popular recreation areas. Not far from town there is the 4H-farm with animals and well preserved main buildings recreate the atmosphere of a country farm.
The university of Kalmar have with it`s 8 000 student, fields such as marine officer training courses, natural sciences, automation, the environment, media and tourism. All of Univerisity faculties are in surroundings in the centre of the city.
Kalmar is located between Öland and the Kingdom of Glass, the region attracts more than 2,5 million tourists each year. From Kalmar Airport you can fly to Copenhagen and Stockholm daily and there are weekly charters to warmer climates. The high speed X2000 train provides direct services to Copenhagen, Stockholm and Gothenburg.

Practical information
For now we haven't solved the accommodation but our aim is to offer the volunteer his/her own private room. It can be that he/she must share shower, toilet, dayroom and kitchen. We always try to find apartments so the volunteers can live two and two. We also have three studentrooms where the volunteers share common tv-room, shower and toilettes. If the accommodation is going to be outside the town center, the volunteers are going to receive a bus card so they can take the bus to the project. When they share accommondation is important that the volunteers respect each other and divide the cleaning and the washing-up.
The volunteer will receive food money so they have to prepare their own food. At the projects there are kitchen if he/she wants to prepare their own food.


Learning opportunities
The general aims of the project are to increase the opportunity for the volunteer to exchange experience between the two countries. Our organisation wants to give the volunteer a social integration with an intercultural learning. This is possible with his/her own active participation. We want to give the volunteer a chance to develop an understanding of another culture and increase his/hers solidarity. We will use the volunteer as an asset in the organisation. Our hope is that it will give the volunteer a personal growth and increase his/hers self-esteem. This new skills and competence that the volunteer will gain could increase their chance to get an employment or continue to study in his/her own country.

The language training is going to be in Kalmar with all of the others volunteer, there are going to be at least ten volunteers in Kalmar,including two in Öland. We are going to have a teacher that works with the Swedish language education. In the beginning the training is going to be more intensive and as time goes by, the time between the lessons are going to be increase.

Role of the EVS-volunteers
We want the volunteer to feel that he/she is an asset in the organisation. The volunteer is going to be one of the working team. It´s important that he/she count themselfs as one of the team and not one of youngsters in tha reacreation center.
We know that the volunteer can contribute a lot with just beeing themself. The knowledge that they have in their own person and the experience that they have as a youth is a grate resource for us.

Volunteer activities
The youth recreation center is places where the youth can meet friends, sit down and get a cup of coffee. The youth can after the school come to the center and take part in the different open activities that the center have. If the youngsters have certain skills that they want to develop they have the chance here. The volunteer will work with the youth leaders, help to activate the youngsters. Inform them about Monokrom, the youth music house in Kalmar and what they can do there. The volunteer is going to spend some time in the beginning of her/his time here in Kalmar at Monokrom so they get to know the place and also get the information that they need to promote Monokrom. If the youngsters never have been at Monokrom earlier the volunteer can guide them and inform them about the different possibilities they have. The volunteers are going to be a link between Monokrom and the youth recreation center. Music and music instruments are the main tools that the volunteer is going to work with. The aims for the youth leader are not to do the work for the youngsters but to guide them when they have ideas and give them tools to create activities themselves. As one of the leaders in the youth recreation center the volunteer is going to take an active part in the open activities such as play games with the youth, take part of the different arrangements at the center - disco, movie. At the center the youth also get information about drugs, sexuality, racism, violence, jobs an a lot more. This could be that they invite different people to inform about the different topics. They also have different groups such as boys- and girl groups. Here at this groups the youngsters have a forum where they can talk about topics that can be sensitive for them, in a group where they feel that they can express themselves. They also have special days where they work with disable youth and help them with different activities., the volunteer is also going to help the leaders to plan activities and take part if the leaders meetings. Most of this project is going to take place here at the youth recreation centers. There are about 4-6 persons employed at each center and it`s in this group that the volunteer is going to have his/her supervisor. If the volunteer has certain skills (dance, play music) he/she will have the chance to work with a project of her own.
Very important to know is that the work is going to take place in the evenings, and that the center has a non-drug policy.
Example of a typical week:
Monday: Youth activity center, take part in the open activities
Tuesday: Monokrom, go beside the supervisor to learn more about Monokrom - Only the first weeks
Wednesday: Youth activity center and language training
Thursday: Youth activity center, take part in the staff meetings and the planning
Friday: Youth activity center, take an active part in the different arrangements such as disco, movie-nights etc.

Some of the activities are going to be organised of Kumulus, the coordinating organisation, this could be to talk about their experience and help to promote EVS.
The volunteer would work not more than 7 hours a day and not more than 35 hours per week including language training. It could happen that the project the volunteer is involved will take place during the weekends. This will be substituted with free days during the weekdays. It´s important that the volunteer understands that he/she is able to influence their schedule.

Volunteer profile
While recruiting volunteers the emphasis is put on the music interest and in the flexibility of the person. If the volunteer can play any instrument or sing/dance it`s a great advantage. It`s important to have a creative mind and open for all sort of ideas. The volunteer will be asked to provide a CV and a motivation letter. The project is going to start for the 1 of September each year. We are open to work with all organisation.

Risk prevention
All of the volunteers are going to have their supervisor at the projects. It's with the supervisor they are going to have the daily contact. If there are any problems it's the supervisor the volunteer can talk with about the project.
The volunteer are also having a mentor outside the job and education. It's with the coordinators Claudia Kjellstrand and Mathias Larsson that the volunteers can talk with if there is some problem at the job, accommodation or at the spare time. Coordinating is also holding the private and group meetings with the volunteers. If the volunteer has any special interest in any sport etc we can help to find a contact person so he/she can continue with their interest here in Sweden. The volunteer is also going to the arrival- and midterms course that our national agency are holding in Stockholm.

http://ec.europa.eu/youth/evs/aod/hei_form_en.cfm?EID=64000317701