Noored Ühiskonna Heaks (NYH) is promoting 6 calls for participants for European Solidarity Corps projects (ESC) which will take place from September 2022 until August 2023 in Škofja Loka, Slovenia.
Vacancy 1 – MDC Blok & PUMO
MDC Blok
The daily youth center is aimed at providing more equal opportunities for underprivileged children through facilitating activities. BLOK plays a significant role for the youngsters as it functions as a “second home” for them. Here the youngsters can truly be themselves, they are included in the planning and creation of activities and additionally have the possibility to develop themselves through these non-formal (educational) activities. They typically develop interests in new areas, improve their social and soft skills and increase their self-esteem. The youth center is a place where they go to hang out with their friends, play board- or card games, do their homework, receive study assistance and participate in daily workshops. These workshops vary widely from creative to practical and from practical to sporty (e.g. co-creating a magazine, debate club, weekly sports, multi-cultural lectures, nutrition, dance competition, etc). Lastly, MDC BLOK occasionally collaborates with other organizations, institutions, citizens and artists of the broader local community (such as schools, PUM-o, library, municipality, a refugee or craftsmen). This is done to increase the youngsters’ understanding of what is happening in society and thus to widen their horizons and potentially to activate them beyond what is happening at the daily center.
“BLOK plays a significant role for the youngsters as it functions as a “second home” for them.”
You can click this link for more information about us: https://www.facebook.com/mladinskicenterBlok
PUMO
It is an informal educational program that serves youngsters between the ages of 15 and 25 years who dropped out of the educational system. The main goal of the program is to motivate the young people to either continue education or pursue and obtain employment. The program enables the participants to gain different competences and skills through many informal forms of learning. The program includes three trained expert mentors and numerous external collaborators who join the program in accordance with the current project activities, individual work and international projects. The usual characteristics of youngsters involved in the program are lack of motivation, conflict behavior in the school system, health issues, backgrounds of traumatic family experiences and escapism. Through the program, we want to: motivate young people to resume their interrupted education; help them reach a decision on further education within the framework of existing possibilities and forms; encourage personal growth; fight social exclusion; and foster professional, social and cultural identity.
The PUM-O program is holistic, and the training is tailor made for each participant according to their needs and desires. The methods we use include project work, activities of interest, individual work and international projects.
You can click this link for more information about us: https://www.facebook.com/pum.familijaskofjaloka
For promotional video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLKlsvqDDi4
Vacancy 2 – DC Škrlovec
The target population of Škrlovec are children, adolescents and young people between 10 and 20 years of age, who live in the area of the municipality of Kranj. First and foremost, in Škrlovec, we want to include kids who face difficulties in the growing up process and who are deprived of normal family life. The program is realized by two full-time workers and around 20 volunteers, who are involved in the activities based in their own desires, wishes, knowledge and needs.
You can click this link for more information about us: https://www.facebook.com/Skrlovec
Vacancy 3 – Primary Schools
OŠ Škofja Loka – Mesto and OŠ Cvetka Golarja are two primary schools for children aged 6 to 15 situated in the town of Škofja Loka with OŠ Škofja Loka – Mesto being close to the town centre and OŠ Cvetka Golarja located further to the east. The daily activities of the volunteer will be discussed with the coordinating teacher and will be mostly based on his/her interests and preferences. Volunteers could attend various classes and help the teachers prepare some activities for the lessons, or offer help to individual pupils with difficulties, especially in language classes, occasionally also in history, geography or other subjects. Moreover, they will also be encouraged to organise or take part in some afterschool activities or school events (e.g. sports day, English conversation, drama, art classes).
Previous experience in the field of education might be an advantage for the volunteer, but it is not a necessity.
Vacancy 4 and 5 – DC Om and MDC Podlubnik
The program is primarily intended for children and adolescents from Škofja Loka between the ages of 6 and 18, and their parents, who are deprived of a normal family life experience due to diverse life challenges. The purpose of the program is to help break down these barriers and pave the way to better educational, emotional, physical, and social well-being in a relaxed and supportive atmosphere. We offer creative opportunities for positive peer interaction, motivation to complete school work and improve academic achievement, development of problem-solving skills, acquisition of new life skills, fostering good working habits, advancing communication skills, nurturing means of integration, gaining a sense of acceptance and security, and building self-esteem. We accomplish this through both structured and unstructured activities.
Structured activities include:
Themed workshops and focused discussions (for example, computer skills, study tips, development of specific self-competencies, social networking, etc.), cultural events, sports and hiking, swimming, arts & crafts, trips, and more. Unstructured activities include leisure things such as playing games, watching films, or just hanging out together.
You can click this link for more information about us: https://www.facebook.com/Dnevni-center-OM-%C5%A0kofja-Loka-156160397756878
Vacancy 6 – School for kids with special needs
The school educates youngsters with specific learning difficulties and its main focus is to help pupils with intellectual disabilities get as independent as they possibly can. The chosen volunteer will be involved in both organizations. They will assist with daily activities, help with the program and they will also have an opportunity to organize different workshops based on their interests and the children’s needs. Arts and craft play an important role in both basic organizations, so the volunteer should be willing to take part in dancing, music and/or art workshops. Previous experience with vulnerable groups is more than welcome and some knowledge from pedagogy and psychology is also recommended.
Who are we looking for?
- Candidates should bring in their own ideas into the project and be prepared to create, plan and execute their own projects.
- Abilities in music, sport, manual activities, handcrafts, dance, art and multimedia would be convenient.
- Past experience in education and youth work is welcomed.
- Candidates should show self-initiative, motivation, patience, flexibility, open-mindness, creativity, good communication skills, interest in working with children, youth (and adolescents) and they should be able to speak English.
About Language Support
Language support will include a Slovene language course, where volunteers will get acquainted with the Slovene language.
About Financial Support
Volunteers will cook by themselves, and a monthly food allowance will be provided of 196 €. They will be also entitled to receive monthly ‘’pocket money’’ of 120 €. A bike will be provided to each of the volunteers as well as tickets for public transportation (if required for the purpose of the project).
About Accommodation
The volunteers will be accommodated in one fully furnished apartment (including gas, water, electricity and Wi-Fi) on the main square of Škofja Loka, an old historical town with about 13,000 inhabitants, located 25 km north-west from Ljubljana. Each volunteer will stay in a private bedroom with shared cooking, washing, laundry and social facilities.
How to apply for the project
- CV
- Motivation Letter (It needs to be prepared specifically for vacancy/ vacancies).
There are 6 vacancies available and participants should be between 18-30 years old.
After you prepare documents above, you should send them via email to our contact person- Marco Santos- with subject of ‘‘ESC-Slovenia’’: marco@nhy.ee
Application deadline: 23 March 2022
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