Volunteer for free with the European Solidarity Corps.

Alternative Education – Democratic, Wild Forest and Montessori/Waldorf school in POLAND, Silesia region (near Cracow)! – We are looking for volunteers for 11 months in Poland: from March/April 2019 to January/February 2020. Every cost is co-financed by the European Solidarity Corps. Come and explore what is alternative education in everyday work with children! We’re waiting for your applications just to 5th March 2019!

Duration of the volunteering project

11 months in Poland: from March/April 2019 to January/February 2020

Where:

Three Alternative Schools in Poland – Democratic, Wild Forest and Montessori/Waldorf schools in Katowice, Gliwice and Tychy city in Silesia region (near Cracow)
INFO – PACK available here

About the project

• The project involves 6 young people from Spain, France and Georgia working 11 months from March/April 2019 to January/February 2020 / and second flow in 2020/21/
• The main idea of the project: using non-formal education and active methods in free education institutions – Nasza Dobra Szkoła, Wolno Mi School and Democratic Wild Forest School – to make the volunteer contribution to the development and growth of the pupils.
• The project provides volunteers with the opportunity to gain professional experience in organizing learning non-formal activities in alternative approaches – nature connection, ecology, Non-Violence Communication, Deep Democracy, Montessori, Waldorf, etc.
• The result of the project: volunteers will acquire new vocational skills, strengthen personal competencies (e.g. patience, sensitivity, attention, persistence, eco-awareness), develop social and interpersonal skills (teamwork, leadership, flexibility), intercultural and linguistic skills, knowledge about deep ecology and alternative pedagogies.
• During the first month of stay, volunteers will integrate, learn the Polish language, familiarize themselves with the surroundings, learn about the customs and elements of Polish culture, learn the rules of moving by public transport and shopping, get to know places to visit and spend free time, get to know places of realization volunteering.

Who we want to invite to Poland

Spanish, French and Georgian youth who:

• love to help others
• likes working with children and youngsters
• like to perform artistically, share their hobbies and passions, run workshops and other activities for kids
• understand alternative education approaches /democratic schools, alternative pedagogy like Waldorf’s, Montessori’s or Korczak’s methodology/
• loves nature, understand ecology, nature awareness
• can organize interesting learning activities or wants to develop competencies of non-formal active education

What do we offer to volunteers?

• a unique opportunity to live in a foreign country and work for the good of other people
• a personal and professional growth, gaining new experience in alternative pedagogy and free education
• the support from the team of two organizations, a mentor and the tutor in each school
• an opportunity to learn Polish
• soft skills and vocational training
• the Youthpass Certificate after completing the voluntary service
• great hospitality and an opportunity to know Polish history, cuisine, traditions and beauty of Polish landscape

Practical arrangements

The volunteer will get:

• work 6/7 hours per day / including linguistic preparation, job preparation, training, etc./
• CIGNA insurance
• accommodation
• food allowance/120 Euro monthly/
• pocket money /120 Euro monthly/
• local transportation card
• travel reimbursement up to 275 Euro
• The project is co-financed by the European Solidarity Corps.

SELECTION PROCESS

•  Fill out an online questionnaire.

As soon as possible, but no longer than 5th/03/2019.

There are many potential candidates, so “first come, first served”

So don’t wait till the last moment, the selection process is going on!

With selected people, we will organize a Skype interview.

• Sending organisations: Viaje a la Sostenibilidad /Spain/ and Maison de l’Europe Le Mans – Sarthe/France/, Bridge of Friendship Kartlosi deliver to selected volunteers pre-departure training and assistance.

Volunteers profile

• Age: 18 – 30 years old
• Nationality: Spanish, French or Georgian
• Gender: men or women
• Features: socially active, eager to work for a local community, communicative and ready to face challenges that international cooperation brings, motivated, eager to take initiatives, open-minded, flexible, proactive and creative
• able to work individually and in a team
• enjoy working with kids and youth
• empathic, patient, able to show friendliness
• motivated to improve their language skills and learn new languages
• openly expressing opinions, open to new experiences, showing initiative
• people with fewer opportunities (social, economic, etc) are especially welcome
• need to show interest in deeply democratic, alternative education and be eager to learn about it
• need to present respect to the children perceived as young people and be ready for non-violent contact as well as conflict solving
• should have experience in working with children with at least one of the age groups 3-6 or 6-13
• should also have a positive, ecological approach to nature and eco-awareness, like to be in the woods

Tasks of the volunteers

Volunteers will be involved in the day to day life of the alternative school, especially:

• support the teachers in taking care of the kids
• support students and teachers during excursions and other activities
• organization and supporting school promotional projects in the local community
• creating own educational projects which are part of a Volunteers’ learning process
• informal and non-formal language teaching (English, Spanish, French, Georgian)
• organization of non-formal educational activities in English, Spanish, French
• promoting the idea of the EU and voluntary service, participation in other Erasmus + projects
• cooperation with different entities in Poland

A subject of activities would be in line with volunteers’ personal interest and could be related to the culture of the country where the volunteers are from, European culture or any other global culture as well as nature.

Additional activities

• learning Polish in a group using Online Linguistic Support
• promoting the idea of EU, youth mobilities and European opportunities, volunteering
• conducting classes in English, Spanish, French using non-formal and informal methods
• implementation of own activities, depending on the interests, using informal methods
• temporary exchange of volunteers between schools to increase the dynamics of the project / Democratic Forest School, Nasza Dobra Szkoła, Wolno Mi
• evaluation meetings for the competencies development for Youthpass certificate
• dissemination of learning outcomes according to the plan / The last month of the project will be mainly devoted to the dissemination of the produced materials, e..g flipbook publication, video, multimedia presentations, conducting dissemination meetings/
• participation in the training delivered by coordinating and receiving organizations
• cooperation with local community /e.g promoting ESC on the summer music festivals, other events/
• support to coordinating and receiving organization in its daily activities/ coordinating organization: Active Women Association in Sosnowiec city/

CONTACT DETAILS 🔍📧 how to apply?

This listing is outdated but you can go to the ESC programs section to find similar opportunities, or you can write to the volunteer program coordinators to ask if they are planning new programs:

Questions and inquiries:

Anita Kupniewska – akupniewska.sak@gmail.com

Come and work with us. We are waiting for you 🙂

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