Name: Multilingual Orientation through Voluntary Exchange (MOVE)

Dates: 1 September 2016 – 20 December 2016

Application deadline: 31 July 2016

Place: Sofia, Bulgaria

The EVS project is for 5 participants from: Austria, France, Italia and Spain

Fields of the EVS project: non-formal methods of education / language learning and trainings / discussion groups / different cultures, traditions, history and etc. / entrepreneurship / career guidance / social skills / EU projects / Erasmus + programme

Communication language (s): English

Working language(s): native languages of the volunteers – German, French, Italian and Spanish

Organizer: Foundation Education 21st Century

Partners: Associazione Culturale Link, Asociacion Juvenil Intercambia, Maison de l'Europe de Nîmes, Servicio Civil Internacional

Contact for questions: projects@education21century.info

In the project ‘Multilingual Orientation through Voluntary Exchange’ (MOVE) will take part five different countries – Austria, Bulgaria, Italy, France and Spain. The project foresees the participation of one volunteer from each sending organization.

The project aims: 5 volunteers from different countries to visit language classes in various secondary schools throughout Sofia and the region and conduct discussion groups in their mother tongue as native speakers. Discussion groups and trainings organized in the native language of each volunteer will be available for young people and adults who do not study particular language during their education or want to develop their knowledge of a particular language. The volunteers could take part in English discussion groups and trainings if they wish.

These activities will support the skill development of both - students and participants in discussions, will help them talk freely on different topics (will help to remove the languages barriers among them) and to learn more about the cultures of the different countries. The discussion groups will help the participants and students to make new friends and network, to acquire social skills and confidence to express themselves in a multicultural environment. The volunteers will share information about themselves, their interests, hobbies, music, literature and traditions of their home countries, and by preparing for each discussion group they will have the opportunity to learn more about their own country.

The project activities will be focused on language learning through informal methods of training, raising the level of multilingualism and improving intercultural understanding. During the implementation of the project the volunteers will be given clearly defined tasks that will let all their ideas, creativity and experience to be integrated into the project. All volunteers will have a mentor, who will be working with the volunteers mainly on their development and learning process. The mentor will be responsible for the personal support and will facilitate the integration of the volunteer in the local community. Volunteers will learn the key qualities that each teacher need and will acquire knowledge about informal learning methods that they can apply in the future. Through the discussion groups they will have the opportunity to take responsibility and to manage one project from beginning to the end, which will be their preparation for the International Volunteer Day event. Another major result will be the improved language skills of the participants in English and Bulgarian languages. And these will be qualities that volunteers will be able to add for their European Language Certificate and to their CVs. The project will also ensure that the volunteers will have a lot of group working sessions, whereas the main group activities and team building activities will be focused for the organization of the European Day of Languages and the International Volunteer Day.

Preparatory activities - Volunteers will be introduced into the theme of the project for the aim of the successful volunteer service. The objective is the volunteers to feel confident in the upcoming experience, be calm during the duration of the project and be aware of their requirements and responsibilities before the start of the project. Some of these activities will be carried out before the departure of each volunteer and each of the participating countries will be responsible for implementation of the action. The volunteers will have to start a preparatory language course in Bulgarian and English. The host organization will prepare the orientation, training and mentoring - the first three stages of the preparatory activities at the arrival of the volunteers.

The volunteers have to be alert and active young people, aged between 18 and 30 years, with innovative ideas, full of energy, who want to contribute to intercultural exchange, knowledge and skills. It is imperative the volunteers to be willing to learn new skills and meet new people. Priority will be given for participation of volunteers from more remote areas of the partner countries, who face different geographical, economic or social difficulties.

The volunteers are not required to know a second language apart from their native, on which they will lead the discussion groups. It is desirable all participants to have a basic English knowledge - on communicative level to ensure easier integration and communication with the other participants in the project and the team of the host organization.

It is vital all participants to be mature, motivated by a sense of responsibility and to realize how valuable the volunteering is for the European society and for themselves. The volunteers must be able to devote time, effort and expertise, and to work consciously in favor of others. Each volunteer must attach a letter of motivation, which describes in more detail his/her desire to participate. The final selection of volunteers will be made by the host organization because is important to be considered how to be pulled together all various volunteers from the different countries (something on which only the coordinating organization has an overview) and it is important to select people who will be able to reap the maximum benefit for them and for society during this adventure.

Volunteer activities:

Discussion groups in schools - The volunteers will be engaged in preparation for the discussion groups in the language classes in various schools in Sofia. Along with their colleagues and mentors the volunteers will decide the topics of each discussion, as one of the objectives is to discuss economic, social and cultural environment in their own countries as well as interesting topics for students such as career guidance, education and others. This activity will be implemented by the volunteers with the support of a coordinator from the host organization and will happen twice a week throughout the duration of the project.

Discussion groups outside of school hours - Discussion groups organized in the native language of each volunteer will be available for young people who do not study particular language during their education or want to develop their knowledge of a particular language. The purpose of these discussion groups will be the people to get to know each other, to gather social skills and built confidence to express their own position in a multicultural environment as well as create new friends and contacts. The methods that will be used during these discussion groups will be open discussions and roundtables as means of sharing experiences, peer-to-peer learning and practicing their knowledge. The topics will be based on the traditions, history, culture, social situation of each country, whose language will be studied during the discussion group. Each participant in the groups will be encouraged to express and present his/her knowledge on the subject - there will be an opportunity to discuss and compare the differences and similarities between cultures and nations. These discussion groups will be held in the office of the Foundation Education 21st Century in the city center of Sofia.

Organization of one big open discussion group with games and prizes on September 26th – European Day of Languages – During this activity, the volunteers will work together with other volunteers, part of Foundation 21st century. For the realization of this event the following methods will be used: group works, brainstorming, creation of different games and entertaining activities that will teach young people unconsciously essential elements of the language of their interest.

Organizing an event for International Volunteer Day on December 5 - This day is seen as an opportunity for volunteers and organizations to celebrate their efforts, share their skills and values, and to promote volunteering. The volunteers will be responsible for organizing this event with the support of the coordinating organization. Within this day they will have to present creative and original projects, on topic and format of their choice. This open public event will motivate the participation of other local voluntary organizations and the volunteers- participants will have the task to raise such organizations and to promote the event.

Volunteers will participate in various local initiatives, where they will have the opportunity to learn about local culture, traditions and history and explore the natural attractions of Bulgaria. The goal is getting to know the new environment and helping their integration during the project. Along with representatives from Foundation 21st century or with other volunteers, the project participants will have the opportunity to get to know Bulgaria more closely, which will happen during their days off. The Foundation will give ideas on what can be done in their free time, but the participants will have the opportunity to decide if they have topics, places or areas of interest.